Fire and Blood
by MegaGothmog
Summary: A collection of stories centered around Tarrion Dovahsebrom and Serana the Vampire. Arcs finished: 9... Next Arc: Lands Unknown: Serana and Tarrion are tired of constantly helping others, never having any real time off. So the two decide to go on a vacation. A massive storm cuts that plan short and they are shipwrecked on a large and seemingly abandoned island: the lands of Akavir.
1. Awakening 1

Chapter 1: Awakening

Every step took him more effort than he would care to admit, and although the winter had only just begun, the snow already came up to his knees.

"Why did i even sign up for this?" he asked himself. "Why can't he just go and take a damn look for himself?"

Tarrion had never been fond of people who play the 'boss' role. He always called them lazy-good-for-nothing jerks who let others do their dirty work.

And yet he had himself to blame, again. He, once again, took the job without thinking it fully through. Lydia would not have been surprised, since she went on almost every adventure with him. But not this time.

Tarrion ploughed through the snow. He was now a few miles south of Dawnstar, and if it wasn't for the snow, he could have seen the tower overlooking the town. But he was not headed for Dawnstar. He was not heading north, but west. Up into the mountains, looking for something called 'Dimhollow Crypt'.

It had been two days since he joined the Dawnguard. An old orc, by the name of Durak, had approached him in Riften and told Tarrion of the old order.

"Vampire slayers." had Durak said. "We hunt down those bloodsucking fiends, wherever we can find them."

I fit wasn't for the three Vampires that attacked Tarrion the day before, he would have said no, but since he was apparantly also a target for Vampires, he agreed. He packed up his things and went to the old fort and there he met with Isran. An old Redguard warrior with a thirst for killing Vampires.

It was by pure change that Isran was talking to a man named Tolan, one of the Vigilants of Stendarr. An dit was this Tolan that informed Isran, and in turn Tarrion, about this Dimhollow Crypt. According him it contained an ancient Vampire artefact. Seeing as Tarrion wanted to help, Isran ordered him to go to this place and see what it was all about.

And thus Tarrion walked. The terrain had begun to go up, indicating that he had reached the slopes of the mountains, and that he was getting near his destination.

A long and tiresome walk later Tarrion stopped to rest. The snow had finally stopped falling and it started to clear up. Far below him Tarrion could see the smouldering remains of the Hall of the Vigilants. He had visited it earlier, finding nothing but dead bodies of both humans and vampires. But also of strange hound like animals, with a black skin, red eyes, large claws and maul filled with sharp teeth. Tarrion had never seen these creatures before, but they looked not natural to him.

But then again, what is natural? Not too long ago he fought a giant, talking, black dragon named Alduin, in the spiritual realm of Sovngarde. Ancient Nord heroes fought beside him, despite the fact that they were dead for centuries. And to top it off, when Alduin was killed he did not burst to flames like a normal dragon. No, he let out a deafening cry and basically exploded. But Alduin was the World-Eater, so Tarrion could have expected something different.

Tarrion still had nightmares about that battle. Almost every night he would wake up suddenly, expecting to see a giant, black dragon flying at him. It even happened a few times that he woke up with a Shout, sending the door and furniture flying. On those moments the scars on his chest and back would burn like fire, and Lydia had to rush over to calm him.

Tarrion walked on, following the mountain path, trudging through the snow and looking for the entrance to a cave. It was not long before he found it. The entrance was marked with a few steps, like a staircase, and with a small bowl filled with glowing embers. Tarrion also saw a few footsteps that had not completely disappeared.

"Tolan must have come through here already." Tarrion said to himself.

He stopped for a few seconds before entering the cave.

After a small crevice, and some squeezing between rocks, he found himself in a large open cavern. Light and snow fell through the ceiling, giving the place a peaceful feeling. Tarrion took one deep breath through the nose to realize that was not the case. He smelled the stench of dead bodies. He also immediately heard voices talking to each other.

"These Vigilants never know when to give up. I thought we taught them enough of a lesson already at their Hall."

The voice sounded raw and gravelly. A man's voice.

"To come in here alone, a fool like all the rest of them."

The second voice was softer, like from a woman, but it also sounded sharper.

"He fought well though. Jerod and Bresoth were no match for him." The first voice said.

Tarrion tried to get a better look at the two Vampires that were walking on the other side of the cavern. He could see that they were Vampires. Their glowing red eyes were unmistakably and he could also not hear them walking around. He had learned already that Vampires walk silently, and not even a Sabre Cat can hear them.

Tarrion looked closer and at the feet of the woman he saw a man with an all too familiar outfit. Tolan was lying on the ground. Dead.

"Ha, those two deserved what they got. Their arrogance had become insufferable."

Tarrion understood that Toland had charged in on his own and had killed two Vampires already, but was then killed, and by the pale look on his face, drained of his blood.

Tarrion took a deep, but silent breath, and mustered all the magicka he could find and charged up.

"Did you hear that?" the male Vampire asked, but before he could draw his weapon, a Fireball had hit him square in his face.

The female Vampire turned around, but was also hit by a Fireball and was reduced to ashes a second later.

Tarrion relaxed and walked up to the heaps of red ash that now lay on the ground. He felt no remorse for these two, but did feel pity as he walked up to Tolan. His eyes were wide open and a few drops of blood were still dripping out of a bite wound on his neck. Tarrion knew that he could do nothing for him and simply closed his eyes before walking on. The female Vampire was not wrong. Tolan was a fool to come in here all by himself.

Authors Notes:

Fire and Blood will be about Tarrion and Serana and their adventures in Skyrim. Other characters will also make appearances in this story or any of the others. It will start at the beginning of the Dawnguard-DLC storyline and expand from there. There might be a few moments in the story that are not entirely in line with the lore of Skyrim, but I'll make these as small a s possible.

What the stories are about is something that not even I know, yet. I'll make stuff up as I go along, so it'll be a surprise.

What is the background of the character and was quests has he completed already? :

-Alduin is killed.

-Civil War has ended in the Empire's favour (Ulfric is dead)

-Companions Questline is completed

-College of Winterhold Questline is completed.

-DragonBorn DLC? Not sure what I am going to do with it.

-Dark Brotherhood? Not sure ….

-Thieves Guild? Not started and I'll see what my character will do with it.

-Paarthurnax still lives.

Characters:

Tarrion: Main character and Dragonborn. 6'7 Tall, muscular (not ridiculously), Pitch black hair (short). Tons of scars all over his body. Good guy, with a heart of gold, but also has a darker side that he uses if needed. (although reluctantly)

Isran: Leader of the Dawnguard. Redguard, old (I guess he's 50-ish), Hates Vampires…. A lot.

Tolan: Vigilant of Stendarr, good guy, tells Isran about Dimhollow Crypt when you walk into Fort Dawnguard. Found dead inside Dimhollow Crypt.

Durak: Orc warrior who tells you about the Dawnguard and recruits you.

BIG PS!: I am Dutch (from the Netherlands), so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please tell me about it.


	2. Awakening 2

Awakening Chapter 2

Tarrion walked on through the dark corridors, dimly lit by torches and braziers. He always wondered who left those torches burning. The Draugr? The Skeletons?

Not before long Tarrion ran into some of them. A few Skeletons walked in one of the corridors and Tarrion could hardly see them, if not for their bright blue eyes. He took care of them with a single Fireball and continued. Like in all ancient tombs the air was heavy with the stench of death and decay.

After a little while the path opened up into a large cavern, with a small stream. As soon as Tarrion walked in the stream, he ducked. At the end of the cavern, he saw a figure moving, but it was not a Skeleton, nor was it a Draugr. The figure had its back turned to Tarrion and clearly did not see him, nor sense him. Yet.

With his heart in his throat and breathing as little as possible Tarrion quietly moved out of the stream and prepared to fire a Fireball. But as soon as he felt the fire charge up in his hand, the figure moved and turned around.

Even from this distance, Tarrion could still see the glowing red eyes staring straight at him, and he knew that he was spotted. Vampires can see everything in the dark, so hiding in the shadows was no option.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" sneered the Vampire. "You picked a bad time to get lost in here."

Tarrion said nothing, but instead he readied another Fireball in his other hand. The fact that the Vampire had not attacked him yet surprised him.

"Who are you and what do you seek here?" the Vampire asked. Her confident and creepy smile were unsettling.

Tarrion again did not answer but instead looked to see if he could find something to use to his advantage.

"Mute are we?" the Vampire asked with a grin. "No matter, Lokil will teach you how to speak. And also how to scream."

With speed that Tarrion had not seen before the Vampire drew a black sword and cast a spell at him.

At first Tarrion thought that the spell did not work, but then he felt himself weakened. As if his life was being sucked out of him. He threw both of the Fireballs at her and jumped behind a stone pillar.

"Don't play hide and seek now!" he heard the Vampire say, and by the sound of her voice, she was enjoying the fight.

Tarrion could hear as she moved towards him, and he got an idea.

Slowly the Vampire moved closer and Tarrion was charging a spell.

"Come out, come out wherever you are." the Vampire sung, and she was now only a few feet from the pillar where Tarrion was hiding.

With a blast Tarrion cast 'Bane of the Undead' and he could hear the Vampire scream in agony. He jumped from behind the pillar and grabbed the now screaming Vampire by her throat. With his other hand he gave a harsh hit in her stomach and then shot lightning through her head.

With one last contraction she fell limp in his hands as he held her up.

Tarrion was a large man and stronger than most, but through his Werewolf Blood he had gained the strength of ten men. Holding up this Vampire was trivial for him and he threw her against a wall and walked deeper into the dungeon.

He had never killed anyone like that before, and he did not want to do it again. Seeing how someone was electrocuted like that, right in front of his eyes, was haunting.

As Tarrion moved onward he encountered more Draugr, Skeletons and also more Vampires. He knew that fire and any undead spells would be very effective in fighting all of them and so he cast Fireball after Fireball and Incinerate after Incinerate. The Draugr and Skeletons were no match for him, but the Vampires proved more difficult and although he was able to kill them without serious injury, he did feel the pain after he was hit by their spells. The red glow that came from their hands and the feeling that his life was drained out of him were unsettling.

After a while he felt the need to rest. He grabbed two small vials, one red and the other green, and drank both of them in one gulp. He coughed and almost felt the urge to vomit. He hated those potions, but he still used them when he needed to.

And that was a good thing, because not two corridors further he saw a large broken gate. Beyond it he saw another Vampire, standing in front of the corpse of an unusually large Frostbite Spider. As soon as Tarrion moved through the gate the Vampire drew his swords and lunged at him. Tarrion dodged the attack only by a hairs width. But the Vampire was quicker and kicked him against the gate. Tarrion could see the deadly glowing eyes and a black tongue licking white fangs.

"TIID"

Time slowed and Tarrion ducked under an arm and broke it with a single hit. He turned around again and, with all his strength, punched the Vampire in his back. The Vampire flew against the broken gate and fell dead on the ground with a shattered spine.

After another dark corridor Tarrion heard voices, and one of them was human.

"I'll never tell you anything Vampire! My oath to Stendarr is stronger than any pain you can inflict on me!"

A voice answered with such bitterness, Tarrion felt a cold chill crawling down his spine.

"I believe you vigilant, and I don't think you even know what you have found here. So go and meet your beloved Stendarr."

The unmistakable sound of flesh being rented apart followed and Tarrion knew that the vigilant had his throat cut through.

"Are you sure that was wise Lokil? He still might have told us something."

Another Vampire asked.

Lokil answered with the same cold voice:

"He knew nothing. He served his purpose by leading us to this place, and now it is up to us to bring Harkon the prize. And we will not leave without it!"

Tarrion stood high on a small platform, looking down on the Vampires below. There were only three of them, but he knew that one of them was more than a threat. He knew that sneaking up upon them was stupid, given the fact that Vampires can sense blood, visible or not. But he also knew that fire was his best weapon, and the he was not sensed just yet.

He watched as the Vampires walked up a small bridge leading to a large open area, looking like some sort of ritual site, but the bridge gave Tarrion an idea.

He sneaked down as fast and silently as possible, and got closer than he expected. In front of the bridge he showed himself, and with frightening speed the Vampires attacked. But Tarrion was ready for them and yelled out:

YOL-TOOR-SHUL

An inferno escaped from his mouth as soon as he uttered the last Word of Power. The Vampires did not know what happened and turned to ash before they could react.

As Tarrion reached the centre of the main chamber, at least he thought this was the main chamber, he kept his eyes open. He did not know what other things might be here and, as Mirabelle taught him, 'it never hurts to be prepared'.

The large platform that Tarrion was standing on was perfectly round, with six braziers standing around one small pillar. The braziers were filled with strange ashes, and were nothing like Tarrion had ever seen. He examined them all first, and saw that they were made of silver.

"Strange." he said to himself. "Why would these be made of silver, if a Vampire artefact would be buried here?"

The central pillar was a meter high, and was made out of simple stone. Tarrion looked closely, hoping that he wouldn't overlook anything, and saw that the top of the pillar looked like it was loose. Like a button he could press. Not entirely sure about what would be the wised thing to do, he pressed the button.

As soon as his hand touched the top of the pillar, a spike impaled his hand. Tarrion fell to his knees and cried out in pain. As quick as the spike appeared, it also disappeared, leaving Tarrion with a bleeding hole in his hand. Warm blood gushed out of the wound. Tarrion cast a healing spell, and a little bit later a large scar was what remained, though his hand still hurt.

It was then that he first saw what happened around him. From the central circle, purple flames had appeared and now burned in a line through one of the braziers. Tarrion stood next to the writhing flames, but he did not feel the heat. He stretched out his hand and he felt the flames lick it, but the pain and the heat did not follow. He saw that the brazier burned a little brighter now, and not entirely sure of what would happened, Tarrion tried to push the brazier away from the fire. Even with all his strength, he could not make the brazier move left or right. Tarrion's next guess would be to push the brazier to the end of the flames, and that went without any difficulty. The brazier glided toward the end of the flaming wall and then lit up as well. With a deep rumble the flames spread, following a path Tarrion could not see. They stopped close by another brazier.

Following the pattern, Tarrion pushed each of the braziers to the purple flames, effectively creating a circle around the central, stone pillar. When he pushed the last silver brazier in its place, and the fire made the circle whole, a deep rumble echoed through the cavern. The floor slowly descended down, making Tarrion almost loose his balance, and in the middle a large monolith appeared.

"Interesting." Tarrion said to himself as he reached the monolith, for it was covered with runes in an ancient language that Tarrion did not know.

After studying the runes for a while Tarrion started to think out loud.

"What do these runes mean? Do they say where I can find this artefact? Or is this the artefact? Knowledge?"

He rubbed away some dust from one of the runes, and as soon as his hand touched the monolith it opened, revealing what it had hidden inside.

Tarrion was accustomed to strange things, whether it was undead dragons or monks appearing out of the thin air, he did not expect to see this. He expected an ancient artefact like a weapon, or tomes of knowledge, but what he saw was a woman.

A young woman, and judging by her appearance she was just as old as him. She had her eyes closed and her hands on her chest. Before Tarrion could so much as scratch his head over what this was, she fell toward him. Tarrion grabbed her just in time and laid her gently on the ground. She still did not move, nor did she breath, but she did not seem dead. He looked at her.

She was smaller than him, but so was almost everyone, and looked like she was 5 and a half foot tall. Her skin was pale and her hair was as black as the night itself, barely reaching her shoulders.

Tarrion did not know what to do. This was something he did not expect, but before he could think about anything, the woman took a deep long breath and opened her eyes.

Tarrion immediately saw the slight red glow in her eyes, and even before she opened her mouth, showing her fangs, Tarrion knew what she was.

She was a Vampire

==End of chapter==

* * *

==Authors notes==

Fire and Blood will be about Tarrion and Serana and their adventures in Skyrim. Other characters will also make appearances in this story or any of the others. It will start at the beginning of the Dawnguard-DLC storyline and expand from there. There might be a few moments in the story that are not entirely in line with the lore of Skyrim, but I'll make these as small as possible.

Why the name 'Fire and Blood?': Tarrion is the Dragonborn (dragons breath fire (or... most of them do)) and Serana is a Vampire (Vampires feed on Blood)

What the stories are about is something that not even I know, yet. I'll make stuff up as I go along, so it'll be a surprise.

What is the background of the character and was quests has he completed already? :

-Alduin is killed.

-Civil War has ended in the Empire's favour (Ulfric is dead)

-Companions Questline is completed

-College of Winterhold Questline is completed.

-DragonBorn DLC? Not sure what I am going to do with it.

-Dark Brotherhood? Not sure ….

-Thieves Guild? Not started and I'll see what my character will do with it.

-Paarthurnax still lives.

\- (I forgot to mention this last time) Tarrion is Thane in all the holds. (Whiterun, Winterhold, Solitude, Windhelm, Markarth, Riften, Morthal, Falkreath and Dawnstar)

Dragon Language used:

TIID: _Time (from the Slow-Time shout)_

YOL-TOOR-SHUL: _Fire-Inferno-Sun (from the Fire-Breath shout)_

Characters:

 **Tarrion:** Main character and Dragonborn. 6'7 Tall, muscular (not ridiculously), Pitch black hair (short). Tons of scars all over his body. Good guy, with a heart of gold, but also has a darker side that he uses if needed. (although reluctantly)

 **Woman:** Serana, a Vampire. You'll get to know more about her in the coming chapters

 **Lokil:** A Vampire in Dimhollow Crypt.

 **Mirabelle:** The assistant of the Archmage of Winterhold who runs the day-to-day operations. She died while the Dragonborn was getting the Staff of Magnus.

PS: I gave Tarrion superhuman strength through his Lycanthropy (werewolf-blood). This is not superman-like strength where he can bench-press cars, but he is just really, really strong. know this is not fully correct with the game, but it is something that bugged me about werewolves. They get no bonuses at all? So I thought that buffing their strength, even in normal human-form, is nothing crazy

Also I made it so that the Vampires can sense blood. The more powerful the Vampire, the better he can sense it. I'll see what else happens to the Vampires and Werewolves.

BIG PPS!: I am Dutch (from the Netherlands), so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please tell me about it.


	3. Awakening 3

Awakening Part 3

"Ughh…." the woman moaned.

She blinked a few times before trying to get up. Tarrion did not know what to do, but since she was a Vampire, he felt the urge to end her, here and now.

But there was something about her that was different. The deadly glare he had seen before with other Vampires, was not in her eyes. She had a confused look in her eyes, rather than a hunger for blood.

"What is…. Who sent you here?" the woman asked.

Tarrion did not know what to answer at first, but it was clear she was expecting to be awakened.

"You were expecting someone?"

The woman rubbed her head.

"Yes, but… please, tell me who sent you."

"A man named Isran." Tarrion answered.

"'Isran'?" the woman confusedly asked. "Is he… like me?"

"You mean a Vampire?" Tarrion asked. "Because, no. He is not."

"I see."

The woman stood up and almost fell, but she grabbed the monolith just in time to break her fall.

"Who are you?" Tarrion asked. "And why were you locked away like this?"

The woman looked at Tarrion, sizing him up. After a few seconds she answered:

"That is… a long story, and I am not entirely sure if I can trust you. But if you want to know the whole story, help me get back to my families' home."

"Forgive me for saying this," Tarrion said. "but I am not entirely sure if I can trust you either. I have seen my share of strange things, but never a Vampire sealed away like you were."

"No offense taken," the woman answered. "and I cannot blame you for not trusting me. And being locked away like this, was not my idea."

She was clearly trying to figure out if she should explain a few things, or not.

"Let's just say that 'circumstances made it happen'. And don't worry, I am not out for your blood, if that is what worries you."

For Tarrion this was enough for now. At least he knew she wouldn't attack him straight away, and so he agreed.

"Very well. Where does your family live?"

"They used to have an island to the west of Solitude, I would guess they still do."

After some thinking she added:

"By the way, my name is Serana. Good to meet you."

"My name is Tarrion." Tarrion said, and he nodded. "So now that the introductions are finished, do you know where to go?"

Serana shook her head.

"Your guess is as good as mine, this place looks pretty different from when I was locked away."

Serana looked around and saw the silver braziers all standing high around them. The small amount of light falling down from the ceiling and the monolith that was towering over them both.

"Do you have any ideas?"

"We could try the way I came in," Tarrion said. "but most of these tombs have a shorter, second way out. So I would guess, that way." And he pointed away from the bridge he crossed earlier.

"Very well," Serana said. "then let's go."

But before she walked in the direction Tarrion pointed in, she grabbed a large object, wrapped in black cloth from the monolith that previously, Tarrion did not notice. She hung it on her back and walked behind Tarrion, towards another, narrow bridge.

As soon as he placed his foot on the bridge, he heard the sound of rocks falling down, and a loud roar.

Tarrion immediately drew his sword and charged a Fireball in his left hand. His sword was made out of the bones of Dragons and thus it was stronger than any sword, any smith could make.

Out of the shadows two monstrous creatures charged forward. Both had a dark grey, stony skin, large claws, small wings and two large horns. They charged at Tarrion with incredible speed, but before Tarrion could even move, a large Ice Spike flew right past his ear and flew right into one of the creature's mouth, making it fall and tumble off the bridge, into the blackness below them. The second one ignored his fallen comrade, and with its wings, it made a giant leap towards Tarrion. Tarrion fired the Fireball and hit the beast straight on its head. This creature also tumbled off the bridge and joined its comrade in the darkness below.

"What were those?" Tarrion asked as he sheathed his sword.

"Gargoyles." Serana said plainly. "I've seen them before and they act as guardians for Vampires."

"I see." Tarrion said. "Are there any other 'guardians' waiting? Or were these the only ones?"

"I have no idea." Serana answered. "But we should be wary."

Tarrion took another good look at Serana, half expecting to see a deadly gaze in her eyes, but instead he looked at the object she had on her back. It was still wrapped in black cloth. But a few pieces had shifted, revealing the contents a little, and Tarrion recognized it. She shape, the golden material, the jewels and inscriptions on it told him all he needed to know, because he had seen it before.

"Is that an Elder Scroll?" he asked with shock.

Serana hardly blinked, like she thought nothing of the fact that Elder Scrolls are beyond rare and can carry extreme powers.

"Yes it is, and it's mine."

"By the Eight…Why do you have an Elder Scroll sealed away with you?"

"Again, 'a long story'." Serana said.

As Tarrion and Serana made their way out of the dungeon, he kept wondering what this could mean. A young Vampire locked away, with an Elder Scroll? There has to be a reason for this, but he knew he could not ask her, because he knew she would not answer him. So instead he asked something else.

"How long were you locked away like that?"

Serana thought about it for moment.

"I… I don't know."

She suddenly seemed to wonder the same.

"I… I can't really tell... Who is Skyrim's High King?"

"That was actually a matter of debate."

"Oh, great." Serana said. "A war of succession, good thing to know the world did not get boring while I was away. Who are the contenders?"

"Who 'were' the contenders." Tarrion said.

Serana looked confused at Tarrion.

"Ulfric Stormcloak fancied himself as High King." Tarrion explained. "He thought that Skyrim should be independent, and so he killed High King Torygg, starting a civil war."

Tarrion stopped for a moment. He saw the battles being fought right before his eyes. How old friends raised their swords against each other. Brother fighting against brother, and with hundreds of deaths on either side. How he, Lydia and Irileth fought side by side, fighting off the Stormcloaks at Whiterun. And how, at last, he lead the siege against Windhelm, and killed Ulfric. Thus ending the war. He knew Skyrim would take a long time to recover, but it would be better than throwing it into another war with the Thalmor.

Tarrion's thoughts came back to him and Serana in the dark corridors of Dimhollow.

"Let's just say that the Empire was victorious." he concluded. He didn't want to explain all the pain and suffering of that war.

"Empire? What Empire."

Tarrion was taken by surprise with that question, and he looked confused at Serana.

"Ehh… Thé Empire… from Cyrodill." he said. "How can you not know the Empire?"

Serana was clearly confused again.

"Cyrodill is the seat of an Empire?"

"Yes," Tarrion said. "for over fifteen hundred years."

"Fifteen hundr..."

Serana was clearly shocked by this news.

"I must have been gone longer than I thought, definitely longer than we planned. Please, let us go to my home as soon as possible."

After another few dark corridors, they came across a large room, and on the other end, Tarrion found a Word Wall. As he approached it he could hear the Word of Power echo within him. Louder and louder.

 _Gaan…. Gaan!... GAAN._

He felt the word echoing through him and understood it. Serana asked him what was so interesting about an old wall with strange inscriptions, but Tarrion did not tell her that he was Dragonborn. He did not think it would be necessary for her to know.

As soon as he left the Word Wall, a large fire in the middle of the room started to burn bright. Around the fire Tarrion saw twelve stone thrones and in all of them a figure was seated.

"Oh no, not again." Tarrion said with a sigh.

"Draugr?" Serana asked and she chuckled. "I wonder if they are still as gullible as they were when I was a girl."

She would soon find out, because all of them stood up and drew their weapons.

Most of them went down with hardly any effort, but three of them fought on. One of them tried to kill Tarrion, but he blocked the sword and with a fierce strike he cut of the arm. But the Draugr was already dead and could not feel pain, and so Tarrion grabbed it by its armour and threw it in the large fire pit.

" _Sovngarde Saraan!_ " the Draugr cried out and was reduced to ashes a few seconds later.

The two that remained had gone after Serana, and Tarrion thought that she would need help. He saw that was not the case, for she fired many an Ice Spike and pulled a small dagger from under her cloak. She moved faster than Tarrion expected. Even for a Vampire, Serana moved with lightning speed, and not a second later, both of the Draugr lay dead, both with their head severed from their shoulders.

"You fight well." Tarrion remarked, and he meant it.

"Did you expect me to cower in fear because of a few Draugr?" She asked. "I am not a little girl, and I think I fought foes bigger than you have ever fought."

'I doubt that very much.' Tarrion thought, but he did not voice it, and instead he said:

"I'll make sure not to make that mistake again."

He saw that Serana had a different look in her eyes now. She clearly enjoyed the fight, like she needed one after all those centuries locked away.

It did not take long for them to reach the exit of the cave, and after a few last, dark steps they stepped into the night. The snow was untouched and came to their knees. The sky was lit with green and blue lights and the moon was shining bright. Tarrion looked up and saw that it was a waning moon.

'Good,' he thought. 'that means my transformation won't come for at least another two weeks.'

"Ah, it's so good to breathe again." Serana said behind him.

Tarrion saw how she closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath through the nose, and out through her mouth. The pale light from the moon shone on her face and Tarrion thought he saw her eyes light up. He did not know what to think of it, but a part of him, although a small part, told him that she was unlike any other Vampire. Whether this was a good thing, he did not know.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Authors Notes=

Fire and Blood will be about Tarrion and Serana and their adventures in Skyrim. Other characters will also make appearances in this story or any of the others. It will start at the beginning of the Dawnguard-DLC storyline and expand from there. There might be a few moments in the story that are not entirely in line with the lore of Skyrim, but I'll make these as small as possible.

What the stories are about is something that not even I know, yet. I'll make stuff up as I go along, so it'll be a surprise.

What is the background of the character and was quests has he completed already? :

-Alduin is killed.

-Civil War has ended in the Empire's favour (Ulfric is dead)

-Companions Questline is completed

-College of Winterhold Questline is completed.

-DragonBorn DLC? Not sure what I am going to do with it.

-Dark Brotherhood? Not sure ….

-Thieves Guild? Not started and I'll see what my character will do with it.

-Paarthurnax still lives.

\- (I forgot to mention this last time) Tarrion is Thane in all the holds. (Whiterun, Winterhold, Solitude, Windhelm, Markarth, Riften, Morthal, Falkreath and Dawnstar)

/\

*I will keep this part in until the end of the first Arc*

Dragon Language used:

 _GAAN: 'Stamina' (from the 'Drain-Vitality Shout')_

Draugr Language:

 _Sovngarde Saraan: 'Sovngarde Awaits'_

For those that noticed it; I made Tarrion a believer of the Eight Divines, and NOT the Nine Divines. Tarrion is a Nord, but I'll explain in later arcs why he does not believe in Talos.

Also, the 1500 years Serana was sealed away: It is an estimation. I don't know the exact amount of years, but since the Septim Dynasty of Emperors has ruled for over 1500 years (ish), it would make sense.

Characters:

 **(You should know the main characters, Tarrion and Serana, by now :)**

 **(You will get to know them both better as the story progresses)**

 **Isran:** Leader of the Dawnguard. Redguard, old (50-ish?) and really, really hates Vampires.

PS: Since the holydays are almost over for me, I think I can only finish this arc in the near future. School starts for me again, and I have my mid-terms coming up as well, so I guess the next arcs may take a while.

BIG PPS!: I am Dutch (from the Netherlands), so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please tell me about it.


	4. Awakening 4

Awakening part 4

Tarrion led Serana off the mountain. The snow was still high enough to cover their ankles and it made the descend tiresome and slippery. Serana did not say much at first, but after they made it down the mountains she seemed more at ease. She looked around a lot and breathed in the fresh air. The terrain changed from mountain slopes to the swamps of Morthal. It was difficult to follow the path, since it would disappear every few meters, only to reappear at another place. Because of this it took the two of them a long time to pass through the bog and foggy terrain, and when they finally reached the end of the bog, the moon had already begun to slowly descend.

Now that the foggy terrain was behind them Serana began to look around again with eyes wide open, as if she saw everything for the first time. Tarrion walked behind her and felt a smile appear on his face. Serana noticed this.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," Tarrion answered. "it's just that you look around like you have never seen anything like this before."

"Well… I was away for fifteen hundred years." Serana answered as she looked at a Deathbell flower. "I have never seen leafs this colour."

After a while, when the mist had lifted even further, Serana looked north and stopped walking. She saw the city of Solitude, build on its natural rock formation. From this distance they both could see the tiny lights from countless windows shining, but since Serana was a Vampire, she could see everything as clear as day.

"That is Solitude, isn't it?" and Tarrion nodded.

"From the castle we used to be able to see Solitude just over the mountains. And from here it just looks…"

She seemed to be looking for the right words.

"It looks like it's from a story."

After they left Solitude in the distance, they followed the path as it went further west. The northern mountains began to loom in the distance, with only a huge river between them and that massive wall of shadow.

"Where do we have to go?" Serana asked after a short climb.

"Your home is on the other side of those mountains, right?" Tarrion asked and he pointed towards the northern mountains.

Serana nodded.

"Then we first have to pass through a small town called Dragon Bridge. After that we have to cross the mountains, and then find a way to get to that island of yours."

"That should not be a problem." Serana remarked. "There should be a small boat to take us there."

"What can you tell me about your home?" Tarrion asked. "I'm curious about what kind of home it is."

Serana seemed surprised by this question, but also slightly delighted.

"Well, as I said, it is built on an island, to the west of solitude. It is a large castle, and depending on who is around, I will be safe there."

"Depending on who is around?"

Tarrion looked at Serana, and saw that her smile had faded.

"Someone you don't want to see?"

"My father and I don't really get along." Serana answered and she sighed. "Saying it like that makes it sound so common. 'A little girl who doesn't get along with her father.' Read that story a hundred times."

Something about the way she said it told Tarrion that there was more to it than just that.

"But it is not that 'common'?" he asked. "There is something more to it?"

Serana did not answer immediately. She seemed to decide if she should explain or not.

"Maybe there is, and maybe there isn't." she concluded and Tarrion asked no further.

After a long walk through Dragon Bridge and a snowy hike through the mountains, Tarrion and Serana finally reached the sea. From there Serana seemed to recognize the area again.

"Yes… Yes it is this way." She said and she followed the shoreline to the west. "There it is."

Tarrion looked out over the open sea, but could not see a thing. He squinted his eyes, but still saw nothing. Serana, with her Vampire eyes, could see clearly in the night, and she kept looking to her right as she now led Tarrion further westward.

"Serana, I still can't see it." Tarrion said after another long walk. Northwatch Keep was not far away, and Tarrion knew that that fortress would most likely be overrun by bandits and outlaws. He preferred to stay away from it, and avoid a pointless fight.

"Trust me," Serana said and she nodded. "it is there. I can see it. And I am not surprised that you can't. Vampires can see much better in the dark."

After a short, moonlit walk across the beaches, Tarrion could see a large, dark shadow appear in the distance. He did not know how far it was, but it was too far to swim.

"Yes here." Serana suddenly said. "We used to keep a boat around here to get to the castle."

Tarrion saw a small, broken pier with an old boat tied to it. He walked toward it and saw that the rope was not as old as he thought. It looked like the boat was used often, and two oars laid in it, next to each other.

A loud crack sounded as Tarrion stepped on an old plank and his foot fell through a hole in the pier. He grabbed the boat just in time and felt that his leg was already halfway in the water.

He heard Serana laugh.

"This is the part where we usually get 'in' the boat." she said. "You with me?"

Tarrion pulled himself up and made sure that he would not step on an old, rotten plank again.

The crossing to the island was long and tiresome. Tarrion felt that he had to row, despite that Serana offered to help. The waves would try to force Tarrion to turn around, almost as if they were warning him, not to go any further.

The night had also reached its end. The moon had sunk in the west, and the sun came up in the east. Serana looked up and the first rays of sunlight touched her pale face. Serana pulled a dark hood over her head, protecting herself from the sunlight.

Tarrion turned around to see how much further he had to row, and saw a massive castle loom over him. Two watchtowers stood on the edge of the coastal cliffs, and behind that Tarrion saw an old path leading up to a large bridge that served as a causeway that led to the castle. Tarrion saw massive towers, one after the other, rising higher and higher, with countless windows, but no lights. The castle consisted out of three main buildings. The central fortress with the highest towers, and two large wings on either side, each with more towers and countless, dark windows.

"This is your home?" Tarrion asked, and he felt his jaw drop in awe.

"This is it." Serana said. "Home sweet… Castle."

"Why didn't you tell me it was this big?" Tarrion asked.

Serana sighed slightly.

"I just…. I didn't want you to think of me as some lady that sits in her castle all day."

She looked up at the huge, black walls and Tarrion saw that there was no real joy in her eyes.

"I don't know… Coming from a place like this… It's not really me. I hope you can believe that."

After a bit more rowing, the boat ran aground on the shore. Tarrion stepped out and pulled the boat further out of the water and helped Serana get out. Despite that he hardly knew anything about her, he felt that her past was not a joyful story. Serana had been through unpleasant moments, that he knew, and although he did not know why, he felt the urge to be kind to her.

As they walked past the intimidating watchtowers, and reached the causeway, Tarrion saw that large statues were made. Six statues stood on the causeway, and they looked like the gargoyles that they faced in Dimhollow.

Serana walked in front of Tarrion and suddenly stopped.

"Ok, so… before we go in."

Tarrion saw that she seemed to struggle. Like she was not sure what she wanted to do, or say.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes… I am, and thanks for asking." she answered. "I just wanted to thank you for helping me, but when we go in, I'm going to go my own way for a while."

"What do you mean."

"I just… I need to figure out where I stand, and what the situation is."

Serana seemed to be in an internal struggle.

"It's not you." she said quickly. "You have been so great in getting me back here. Just…. Let me take the lead from here."

At the end of the causeway an iron gate blocked the way to the great doors that led to the central fortress. An old gatekeeper stood watch, but as soon as he saw Serana, he shouted to others.

"Lady Serana is back! Open the gate!"

Tarrion followed Serana through the gates and through the great doors. He stepped into the fortress and the doors slammed shut behind him. He knew that he was literally, in the Vampire's den. He felt an almost uncontrollable urge to draw his sword, but he did not.

"How dare you trespass here?" a cold voice sounded.

A High Elf appeared out of the shadows, and Tarrion saw his eyes glow red. He was a Vampire.

"Wait… Serana? Is that truly you? I cannot believe my eyes."

The Elf stared for a few moments at Serana before he turned around and ran towards a huge open room.

"My lord! Everyone! Serana has returned!"

"I guess I am expected." Serana remarked and followed the Elf to the large room.

Tarrion followed her and still felt the urge to draw his sword, but as soon as he entered the large room, he knew it would do him no good.

A large throne room, as big as the throne room in Dragonsreach, dimly lit with countless candles and torches, filled with Vampires appeared before Tarrion. Three large tables with long benches stood in the room, and they were all filled with goblets, plates and platters. On those plates and platters, Tarrion saw humans lying still and the room was filled with the stench of blood. Many goblets were filled with a red liquid and Tarrion feared the worst. Over thirty Vampires sat at those tables, and others walked around. Tarrion also saw that many servants walked around with plates filled with more goblets. These servants all had their heads down and their legs were shaking in fear.

'Thralls.' Tarrion thought. Humans bitten by Vampires to serve them without question. 'A fate worse than death.'

"My long lost daughter returns to me at last."

A haunting voice echoed through the hall, and at the central table, a large man stood up. His black hair was long and fell over his shoulders, and his short black beard was unmistakable on his pale face. His eyes glowed fiercely and his dark robes were layered with many imagery.

He walked around the table with calm demeanour that made Tarrion uneasy, and he saw the glowing eyes flash from Serana to him.

"I trust you have my Elder Scroll."

Tarrion saw that Serana's face changed from slightly hopeful to disbelief.

"After all these years, that is the first thing you ask me?" she said, and Tarrion could hear the pain in her voice. "Yes, I have the Elder Scroll."

"Of course I am delighted to see you, my daughter." the man asked, and a slight smirk appeared on his face, showing his fangs. "Must I really say the words aloud? Ah, if only your traitor mother were here. I would let her watch this reunion before putting her head on a spike."

As soon as he said the words 'traitor mother', the smirk disappeared and a fierce anger was visible in his eyes. Tarrion knew then, that this man was more dangerous than any man he had met thus far.

"Now, tell me. Who is this stranger that you have brought into our hall?"

Serana looked at Tarrion, and a slight smile appeared on her face.

"This is my saviour. The one who freed me."

As soon as the man heard the word 'Saviour', a dark shadow appeared over his face, as if he wished not to hear it. He looked at Tarrion, sizing him up.

"For my daughter's save return, you have my thanks. Now tell me, what is your name?"

Tarrion heard that it was not a request, and he had no intention of making this man angry.

"My name is Tarrion." Tarrion said, and the man nodded.

"I am Harkon, Lord of this court." the man answered back. "By now, my daughter would have told you what we are."

"You are Vampires." Tarrion said, but Harkon simply laughed. An evil, humourless laugh.

"Not just 'Vampires'." he said. "We are among the oldest and most powerful Vampires in Skyrim."

He said it as if it was an undeniable fact, and Tarrion noticed that everyone in the hall had stopped moving and listened. Many of them now looked at Tarrion, either with disdain, or with hunger in their eyes.

"For centuries we have lived here, far from the cares of the world. But all of that ended when my wife took away that which I valued most."

Harkon stopped moving and looked fiercely at Tarrion, but Tarrion did not look away.

"Very well. What happens now?" he asked.

"You have done me a great service." Harkon said, and that unsettling smirk appeared on his face. "And now you must be rewarded, and there is but one reward that I can give that is equal to the Elder Scroll and my daughter."

Harkon still had that smirk on his face, like he knew he knew something Tarrion did not.

"I offer you my blood. Take it, and you will walk as a lion among sheep. Men will tremble as you pass and you will never fear Death again!"

Tarrion knew that Harkon's offer was to make him a Vampire, but Tarrion was a Werewolf.

"I am already a Werewolf." Tarrion said, as if that would be the end of the matter. He saw Serana look surprised at him.

Harkon took a deep breath through his nose.

"Yes, I can smell it on you. The power of my blood will purge that filth from you and make you whole again."

"What if I refuse your gift?"

Harkon spat on the floor, like he did not want to hear such insolence.

"I will banish you from this castle. I will spare your life this once, but after that, you are prey."

Then Harkon laughed. Another humourless laugh and Tarrion had to force himself, not to grab his sword.

"Perhaps you still need convincing? BEHOLD THE POWER!"

With a burst of red light and a deafening roar, Harkon transformed. His hands became claws and out of his back, large bat-like wings appeared. His entire body transformed and his skin turned grey and his face moulded into something monstrous. It was over in a few seconds, and a giant monstrous bat had appeared before Tarrion. Its mouth opened and Harkon's voice had changed as well. It was no longer a creepy, dark voice, but now it was a raw voice that seemed more monster than man.

"This is the power that I offer! Now, make your choice!"

Tarrion had a split second to make a decision that he knew, would change his life.

"I don't want to be a Vampire." Tarrion said strongly. "I refuse your gift."

"Then so be it!" Harkon sneered and with his wings he jumped up and hovered a few meters off the ground.

"You are prey! Like all mortals! I BANISH YOU!"

Harkon fired a purple bolt of light at Tarrion and Tarrion fell petrified to the ground.

"Take him away, but he is not to be harmed." Harkon said, and a few Vampires grabbed Tarrion and dragged him out of the hall. The last thing he saw before he fell unconscious was Serana, who had an expression of pain and loss on her face.

=End of Chapter=

=End of Arc 1=

* * *

=Authors notes=

Fire and Blood will be about Tarrion and Serana and their adventures in Skyrim. Other characters will also make appearances in this story or any of the others. It will start at the beginning of the Dawnguard-DLC storyline and expand from there. There might be a few moments in the story that are not entirely in line with the lore of Skyrim, but I'll make these as small as possible.

What the stories are about is something that not even I know, yet. I'll make stuff up as I go along, so it'll be a surprise.

What is the background of the character and was quests has he completed already? :

-Alduin is killed.

-Civil War has ended in the Empire's favour (Ulfric is dead)

-Companions Questline is completed

-College of Winterhold Questline is completed.

-DragonBorn DLC? Not sure what I am going to do with it.

-Dark Brotherhood? Not sure ….

-Thieves Guild? Not started and I'll see what my character will do with it.

-Paarthurnax still lives.

\- (I forgot to mention this last time) Tarrion is Thane in all the holds. (Whiterun, Winterhold, Solitude, Windhelm, Markarth, Riften, Morthal, Falkreath and Dawnstar)

/\

*I will keep this part in until the end of the first Arc*

Dragon Language used:

 _None used_

Characters:

 **(You should know the main characters, Tarrion and Serana, by now :)**

 **Harkon:** Serana's father and lord of Castle Volkihar. He is the leader of the Vampires is the Dawnguard-Questline and also the main antagonist and (SPOILER ALERT!) the final boss. He is a real douche and drunk on power.

PS: I know I said that I would finish this chapter ten days ago, but I had other stuff to do. I now have a full week off from school, so I might do some more stuff for this story, but who knows.

I am also working on my second book (Yes I am a small time writer) and I will be busy with that too.

BIG PPS!: I am Dutch (from the Netherlands), so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please tell me about it.


	5. Scroll Scouting 1

Scroll Scouting part 1

It would be a long and tiresome journey back to fort Dawnguard. Tarrion knew it would take him a full day to return, and he knew he did not have the strength to make it all by himself. Thus it was smart of him to first go to Solitude and hire a carriage to take him to Whiterun. There he went straight to Breezehome and took a dive in his bed. He barely managed to kick off his boots before he fell asleep and did not wake until many hours later.

"My thane?"

Tarrion woke up and stared straight into Lydia's brown eyes.

"Not now…" Tarrion mumbled and he turned around. "Just five more minutes."

"My thane, what happened?" Lydia asked.

Tarrion got up and yawned.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Past midday, my thane." Lydia answered. "I see that you had a long night. Can I make you something?"

Tarrion did not want to bother her, but before he could say 'no' his stomach rumbled.

"I'll make something to eat." and before Tarrion could protest, Lydia stood up and left the room.

Tarrion fell back on the bed and felt like he could sleep for the rest of the day, but he knew he had to report back to Isran, and so he got up. Lydia had left a bowl with water for him to freshen up, and Tarrion splashed the water in his face. He removed his armour and washed his upper body and felt himself wake up.

A few minutes later Lydia came back with a plate filled with a loaf bread, an apple and some mead. As soon as she entered the room and saw her thane standing with his entire upper body exposed, she turned around.

"Apologies my thane. I… I am sorry." she stuttered.

"Lydia, how many times do I have to tell you: I don't mind." Tarrion said, and he felt himself smile. "You have patched me up more times than I care to mention, so you have seen more parts of me than anyone else."

He knew that Lydia took her duties as a housecarl very seriously, and she did not want to presume anything without explicit permission from her thane. Tarrion often told her that he saw her as a friend, and not a servant, and that she could speak her mind whenever she liked. But none of that mattered to Lydia, as she would still be embarrassed every time she saw her thane without any upper clothing. She had helped him and closed more wounds than she could count, but the way Tarrion did not seem to mind it was strange for her. She knew no other thane that was as normal as Tarrion, because he never gave her a direct order, but would only make requests. He would share stories with her and would act like a friend and equal, never as her superior or her owner.

"I know my thane, but…"

"And how many times have I told you not to call me 'thane'? My name is Tarrion, and you are my friend, not my servant."

Lydia turned around and Tarrion saw a slight blush on her face. She put the plate on the bed and wanted to leave.

"Did anything happen while I was away?" Tarrion asked.

"No, not much, my…. Tarrion." Lydia answered. "The only thing worth mentioning is that a few strangers wanted to enter the city last night. The guards denied them access, because they did not trust them. One of the guards thought he saw their eyes glowing. The strangers said that they would be back. And I heard some rumours about a strange old man, clad in grey and surrounded by Imperial Guards, but I have no idea what that means."

Tarrion nodded as he took a large gulp of mead.

"How about the Companions? Have they asked for me, or has something happened?"

As the Harbinger of the Companions, Tarrion had duties, but since he was an adventuring type, he was away for sometimes weeks. On those occasions he asked Aela to be his replacement, which thankfully she was willing to do.

"No, nothing." and Lydia shook her head. "I only know that Aela and Farkas left the city yesterday, but nothing else."

"Thank you, Lydia. I should let them know I am back in town, but I have to leave."

"May I ask where you are going?"

"Fort Dawnguard, to the south-east of Riften." Tarrion said, after he took a bite from the bread. "There is a Vampire threat growing, and I think these guys can prepare themselves, and protect Skyrim. I have to go and report back there."

"It is a long road to Riften. Shall I saddle a horse?" Lydia proposed.

"Yes, that would be great. Thank you."

A little bit later Tarrion had finished his meal and freshened up. He left to the stables outside Whiterun and there Lydia waited for him with a horse.

"Thank you, Lydia. What would I do without you."

"I don't know, Tarrion." Lydia smiled. "But I think the day wouldn't be saved."

"Probably not." Tarrion laughed and he climbed on the horse.

It was a long journey back to fort Dawnguard, but it went a lot faster now that Tarrion did not have to walk. The night began to fall when he finally reached Clear Spring Canyon. But when he reached the fortress, he saw that all was not well. He heard the sound of swords slashing and battle cries, and he heard Isran roar. Tarrion jumped off his horse and ran towards the fortress and saw that a few Vampires had made it past the few defences. Tarrion drew his sword as well and rammed it through the back of a Vampire, severing it's spine.

The fight did not last long, because Tarrion incinerated three of them with a Shout, and the rest were overwhelmed and killed soon after.

"Look at this." Isran said and he spat on the ground. "This is what we get for open recruiting. It was only a matter of time before they would find us."

"We knew that this would happen, but we also knew that open recruiting was the only way, Isran."

Durak walked towards Tarrion and gave him a hard pat on the shoulder.

"Thanks for that. I knew the Nords were able to use their voice in combat, but I did not know it was like this."

Tarrion had not told anyone that he was Dragonborn, and he still felt no reason to. He knew that most people would either fear it, or try and take advantage of it.

"Well, you're back." Isran said. He still had is old, grumpy voice and is sunken eyes looked tired. "I don't suppose you have good news."

"Not exactly." Tarrion answered and he told Isran the whole story. Of how he found Serana in Dimhollow Crypt and how he brought her back to her father. How Harkon was a powerful vampire and that it was clear that he had far-reaching plans.

"So what are we going to do?" Tarrion asked. "We are not going to give up, are we?"

"Why of course not." Isran said. "I'm old, not stupid. We are just going to need some help. I know people that I have worked with over the years. They will help us, and I'd like you to find them."

'Of course, I have to find them.' Tarrion thought to himself.

"Very well. Who are they and where can I find them?"

Isran scratched his beard a few times before he answered.

"We should keep it small, so as not to attract too much attention. I think we'll want Sorine Jorrard. Breton girl and good with tinkering. I heard she became fascinated with the Dwemer a while ago. I think we also want to find Gunmar. Big brute of a Nord. Last I heard he was scouring the wilds looking for beasts to tame. Bring the two of them back here, and we'll see about getting the fort back into shape."

And so Tarrion left fort Dawnguard not twenty minutes after he arrived there. Sorine Jorrard was easy to find. Isran had given Tarrion a location where she was likely to be found. And so Tarrion travelled to the northernmost areas of the Reach. There he heard a young woman yelling all kinds of curse words.

"Those blasted mudcrabs! Those cursed mudwalkers. Those …."

She stopped cursing and looked up at Tarrion. Sorine looked like she was in her late twenties. Her hair was deep brown and her eyes were blue. As soon as she stood up Tarrion saw that she did not even reach to his shoulders.

"Sorry about that. Can I help you?"

Sorine needed a little convincing, but as soon as Tarrion mentioned that there was an Elder Scroll involved, she agreed to come with him. She even joined him on his journey to find Gunmar, who was also not difficult to find. They found him south of Ivarstead, and helped him get rid of an old and strong bear. Gunmar was indeed a large man, about the same height as Tarrion, but broader, with long, brown hair and dark, brown eyes. With Sorine to back him up, Tarrion convinced Gunmar to help out and after they helped him out with the bear, the three of them returned to Fort Dawnguard.

"Hold it right there!"

As soon as the three of them entered the main hall of the fort, four large gates blocked all the exits. Isran appeared above them on a balcony, and he activated some strange device that shone bright light on them.

"What are you doing?" Sorine asked.

"Making sure you're not Vampires." Isran said harshly as he turned the device off. "Can't be too careful. So welcome to Fort Dawnguard. I'm sure you've heard a bit of what we're up against. Powerful Vampires, unlike anything we've ever seen before. And they have an Elder Scroll. If anyone is going to stand in their way, it is going to be us!"

"That is all well and good, but do we even know what they want?" Sorine asked, and Tarrion suddenly wondered the same thing. Harkon never mentioned anything about that, and Tarrion did not even have a hunch. He saw that Sorine was more than just someone that dislikes Vampires, but was also good with her head.

"What do we do now?"

"We'll get to that, for now just get acquainted with the space." Isran continued. "Sorine, you'll find room to start your tinkering on that crossbow-design you've been working on. Gunmar, there is an area large enough for you to pen up some trolls. Get them armoured up and ready for use. In the meantime, Tarrion, we are going to get to the bottom of why a Vampire showed up hear looking for you."

'What?'

Tarrion had no idea what this could mean and was as surprised as his expression said.

"Let's go have a little chat, shall we?"

Tarrion followed Isran to a separate room. It was dark and lit by only one torch, but as soon as he stepped in he saw that it was a cell. A small part of the room, barely enough for one man to fit in, was surrounded by steel bars. The rest of the room was filled with torture devices, ranks, tools and other instruments to inflict unhuman amounts of pain. Tarrion did not know why Isran brought him here, but then he saw two slight glowing eyes appear out of the cell, and in the light of the torch he recognized Serana.

"This… 'Vampire' showed up her looking for you." Isran said. "I'm guessing it is the one you found in Dimhollow. It says it's got something very important to say to you, so let's hear it."

Tarrion looked at Serana, both surprised and disgusted. Surprised because he did not expected to see her, and disgusted because of the way Isran locked her up here. Tarrion knew that she was a Vampire, and thus it was smart not to trust her, but Tarrion also knew that Serana was different than other Vampires, and locking her up like this, was just cruel.

"You probably weren't expecting to see me again." Serana said like not much was going on.

"No, not really." Tarrion said. "Why are you here?"

"I'd rather not be here either," Serana remarked, looking at Isran and the torture devices. "but I needed to talk to you. It's about why I was sealed away, and why I had the Elder Scroll."

"What do you mean?"

Tarrion was eagerly awaiting an explanation, but Isran had just grabbed a silver sword and now looked at the blade with an unsettling look in his eyes.

"The reason why I was down there with the Elder Scroll," Serana continued. "it all comes back to my father. I guess you figured this part out already, my father is not exactly a good person, even by Vampire standards."

That was something Tarrion could agree with, given the fact that he heard that Harkon would put the head of his own wife on a spike

"He wasn't always like that though," Serana continued. "there was… a turn. He stumbled on this obscure prophecy and just lost himself in it."

"What do you mean 'lost himself'?" Tarrion asked.

"He just became absorbed by it. Obsessed really. It was sick, how obsessed he became, and he started to ignore me and my mother with it. The prophecy stated that 'Vampires would no longer need to fear the sun'. As someone who fancied himself as Vampire royalty, that is pretty seductive. Anyway, my mother and I did not want to invite a war with all of Tamriel, and tried to stop him. And that all ended with me being locked underground for who knows how long."

As soon as Serana finished, Tarrion felt pity. He could not explain why, but he could imagine that loosing ones father like that, would indeed be horrible.

"You took a big risk coming here." He concluded, and he meant it. He was impressed that Serana took the risk of almost certain death, to bring this information.

"I did," Serana said, and Tarrion could see a small smile of pride on her face. "but something about you makes me think I can trust you. Was I wrong?"

"No, no you're not." Tarrion smiled. "But we first need to convince the others."

"Well let's move then. I'm nothing if not persuasive." and Serana looked at Isran.

Isran did not seem impressed with the story, and pointed the silver sword at Serana's throat, making her lean back to avoid touching it.

"Alright, we've heard what it has to say." Isran said and he pointed the sword closer to Serana's throat. "Now, is there any reason why I shouldn't kill this bloodsucking fiend right now?"

"Isran, put the sword down." Tarrion said, and he looked fiercely at him. "We are going to need her."

Isran was not convinced, and still had his sword at Serana's throat, but after a while he finally consented, but not after giving Tarrion a warning.

"Very well." He said, although reluctantly. "It can stay for now, but if it so much as lays a finger on anyone else, I'll hold you responsible. Got it?"

He then turned to Serana and once again held his sword at her throat, making Serana flinch.

"You hear that? Don't think you are welcome here, because you're not! You are a resource and an asset. In the meantime, don't make me regret my sudden outburst of tolerance and generosity, because if you do, your friend here is going to pay for it."

Isran lowered his sword and left without another word.

"Thank you for your kindness." Serana said as she rubbed her throat. "I'll remember it next time I'm feeling hungry."

Tarrion could hear the sarcastic tone and could not help but smile. He opened the cage and led Serana to a different room, away from the torture devices. Now that she was out of the shadows, Tarrion noticed that she had the Elder Scroll on her back, still wrapped in dark cloth.

"So in case you didn't notice it before, I have the Scroll with me." Serana said and pointed at her back.

"Your father actually let you take it with you?" Tarrion asked surprised.

"Ha," Serana laughed. "it's not like I asked if I could have it. I didn't ask him: 'Excuse me father, I am going to the Dawnguard with vital information about you, so can I have the Elder Scroll with me?'"

Tarrion laughed and Serana smiled too.

"There is one problem with these Scrolls though; neither of us can read it. As far as I know only the Moth Priests can, and they are all half a continent away. In Cyrodill."

"Moth Priests, huh?" Tarrion said, and he stroked his chin. Then he remembered something Lydia said about an old man in grey. "I heard some rumours about an old man with an Imperial escort. It sounded like he was some form of scholar. Maybe that's our Moth Priest."

"Do you know where he's staying now?" Serana asked.

"No," Tarrion said, and he shook his head. "I have no idea. Where would a Moth Priest actually go?"

Serana seemed to think for a moment and walked around.

"Well back before I… you know, the College of Winterhold would be the first place I would go for any kind of historical or magical thing. The wizards there probably know about all kinds of things, people shouldn't know about. And now that I think about it, I am going with you. I've been really wanting to get out and explore."

"I expected nothing else." Tarrion said.

Serana looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I didn't think you would want to hang around here, or anywhere near Isran."

Serana smiled and nodded.

"No, not really."

A few minutes later they left Fort Dawnguard. The sun had already begun to slowly descend to the west, and Serana donned her hood as soon as she stepped out in the open.

It was surely a strange companionship. A six-and-a-half foot tall, broad Dragonborn and a five-and-a-half foot tall, slender Vampire lady. Strange companions indeed.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Authors Notes=

So, there begins the next part of the story. I know i am sticking very closely to the original content and almost 'copy' the dialogue, but i want to make sure the story is still the same. I will make changes later in the story, but for now i stick to the original content. I still have more than enough time to write more stuff for this story, so i'll do my very best to keep writing.

Dragon Language:

 _Not used._

 **Explaining the relation between Lydia and Tarrion:**

The relation between Lydia and Tarrion is mostly professional. Lydia takes her duties as housecarl very seriously, and basicly says to herself: Duty first. Therefore she wll not try to enter a romantic relation with Tarrion, since he is technically her superior. Tarrion does not care that he is her superior and treats her as a good friend. Their relationship could be compared to that friend you know for your whole life. That guy/girl that you took baths with when you were 4 years old, etc. Dispite all of that, Lydia cares deeply for Tarrion and Tarrion cares for her, yet not in a romantic type of way.

BIG PPS: I am Dutch (from the Netherlands) so if there are any mistakes in spelling or grammar, please let me know.


	6. Scroll Scouting 2

Scroll Scouting part 2

 _-Eastmarch-_

The two of them rode calmly next to each other. Tarrion still had his horse from Whiterun and borrowed another from Riften for Serana. She first declined, but agreed anyway, after she realized she had to otherwise walk all the way to the College of Winterhold. The trip on itself was peaceful. The war was over, there were still bandits that would ambush travellers, but there were only few of them, the Dragons kept largely to themselves and had their nests high in the mountains and the weather was good.

It was not until after they crossed the border with Eastmarch that Tarrion asked what Serana knew of Elder Scrolls.

"I mean, you were locked away with one"

"True, but that does not mean I know everything about them." Serana said. "I know they have magical properties, and are practically indestructible, but aside from that, nothing. Turns out you don't learn much from just sleeping with something."

Tarrion had to swallow a witty remark, and instead just agreed.

He looked up and saw the moon. It was a new moon and he could only see a large, round shadow in the sky. Serana noticed how Tarrion focused on the moon.

"There is something I wanted to ask you." Serana said and she looked at Tarrion.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well, you are a Werewolf, right?"

"Yes." and Tarrion nodded.

"Can I ask how that happened?"

He did not answer straight away. He got his Lycanthropy from Aela, and he knew that the Circle of the Companions were all Werewolves. But he also knew that this was not widely known, and he felt that he shouldn't explain all the details.

"I gained it willingly. From someone else." he concluded.

"You chose for it? Why?"

Tarrion did not expect this question and he did not really have a good answer.

"I… I am not entirely sure. I guess it felt like the right thing to do at that time. I don't regret it, if that is what you want to ask. It has saved my skin on more than one occasion."

Serana seemed to think. She threw her hair back and looked up.

"But doesn't it mean that you transform with every full moon, and have no control over what you do?"

"Hmm…. Both yes and no." Tarrion said. "I can transform once a day, whenever I like, and then I have full control over what I do. I'll admit, I feel hungry and a strong urge to bite, but that is within my control. During the full moon is a different story. Then I have very limited control. I cannot see what I do, but somehow I can recognize people and then I won't attack."

Tarrion sighed. That was the only thing about his Lycanthropy that was a bad thing. He was able to overwhelm many opponents by transforming, but during the full moon, he only had a little bit control.

"So, during the full moon, I force myself to leave the city I am in, and go somewhere isolated, so I won't hurt anyone. But why do you ask?"

Serana seemed to think, and Tarrion saw a conflicted look on her face.

"How did you become a Vampire?" Tarrion asked.

Serana sighed, and Tarrion saw that it was a painful question. Like a bad memory was behind it.

"I… I guess we have to back to the beginning. Do you know where Vampirism came from?"

"I'm not sure." Tarrion said and he scratched his chin. "I would say Vampirism and Lycanthropy have a similar beginning. So I would guess it would come from a Daedric Lord?"

"Exactly." Serana said. "And it was Molag Bal that created it. Molag Bal is a powerful Daedric Lord and his will is made reality. For those willing to subjugate themselves to him, he would bestow the gift, but they have to be powerful in their own right to earn his favour."

"So how did you become a Vampire then? Was there a ritual involved?"

Serana nodded.

"There was. It was… it… it was degrading. Let's not revisit that please. But we all took part in it. My father, my mother…. and me."

"Do you regret it? Becoming a Vampire?" Tarrion asked.

"No-one has ever asked me that before. I… I don't know. I think I mostly hate what it has done to my family."

"It sounds like it has affected your family a lot."

"It has." Serana answered. "You've already met my father. He is drunk on power, and… well… my mother is not a whole lot better."

Tarrion could not see Serana's face clearly, because it was dark, but he thought he saw something glimmering under her eyes.

'A tear.' he thought.

"You miss them, don't you?"

"… Yes…. I miss how they once were."

 _-Winterhold Hold-_

The rest of the journey to Winterhold was long and cold. Tarrion knew he touched a very sensitive subject, and he now regretted bringing it up. He could see in Serana that it was an old, but grievous wound, and it still hurt her. He did not know what to say for the rest of the journey, but after a long time, when they finally reached Winterhold, Serana seemed a bit more joyous.

"So this is Winterhold." she said, and she looked around. "Strange, I thought it would be bigger. I heard it was once the capital of Skyrim."

"That is true," Tarrion answered. "but a large disaster struck this city. It is known as the Great Collapse. More than half of the city fell to the sea below, and the town has never fully recovered."

"Wow." Serana said and she looked up to the College. "What happened?"

"Many theories. Some believe it was due to the eruption of Red Mountain. That it caused a huge wave of storms that eventually made the city crumble into the sea. Others say that the mages from the College were to blame and that they summoned the storms."

"Why would anyone think that?"

Tarrion pointed at the College.

"The College still stands, while half the city fell. It made people suspicious."

After they left their horses at the Frozen Hearth Inn, they walked up to the entrance to the College. A large, but dangerously damaged bridge connected the College with the remains of the town. No-one stood watch, but this was not strange. It was in the middle of the night, and it was unlikely that someone would now come and apply for the College.

"Don't fall off here." Tarrion said as they reached a point in the bridge where both sides were completely crumbled, leaving only a small pathway with a huge fall to either sides.

The gates to the College opened as soon as Tarrion approached and the large statue of Shalidor, that stood in the middle of the courtyard, stared at them. The two of them entered the Hall of the Elements and then took the stairs to the Arcanaeum.

"We are probably alone here. I think everyone is sleeping." Tarrion told Serana. "Then who are we going to ask about the Moth Priest?" she asked back.

"Good point."

But Tarrion was wrong when he said that everyone already went to bed. A shadowy figure sat behind a desk, slowly mumbling to himself. Urag gro-Shub was sitting in his chair and had only one candle lit. Tarrion walked up to the old orc and saw that he was sleeping.

"Urag? Urag!"

"What?! I'll have you torn apart by angry atronachs, you…" the old orc yelled but stopped as soon as he saw Tarrion.

"Oh. Sorry about that Archmage. I was reading a book. I didn't hear you."

"A very interesting book I'm sure." Tarrion smiled. "You could read it with your eyes closed."

Urag grumbled something.

"Wait. Did he just call 'Archmage'?"

Tarrion nodded at Serana.

"I'll tell you another time. But Urag, I need your help again."

"More strange books? I haven't found any new books from Shalidor, but I am almost done with my translation from the last you brought me."

"No, no books this time. I am looking for a Moth Priest."

Urag looked surprised at Tarrion and Serana and scratched his old, almost bald head.

"A Moth priest? What in Oblivion do you need a Moth priest for?"

"I heard rumours about one visiting Skyrim, and I was hoping you would know more."

Urag thought for a few moments and then started slowly.

"Yes… I do seem to remember something about a Moth Priest arriving here a few days ago. Yes… He came in, asked a few questions regarding Elder Scrolls, and then left. Never saw him again."

"Do you know where he went?" Serana asked.

"I thought he mentioned Dragon Bridge, so I guess that would be a nice place to start your search."

"We started searching yesterday." Serana whispered.

After Tarrion thanked Urag, he and Serana left the College. As soon as they left the bridge and entered the town, a short man approached Tarrion.

"I've been looking for you." he said. "Got something i'm supposed to deliver. Your hands only. Let's see here."

The courier rummaged through his bag and pulled out a sealed letter.

"I got this letter from Falkreath Hold. Something about a house."

He handed Tarrion the letter and left.

"Looks like that's it. Got to go."

"A house?" Serana asked.

"Yes, I was actually waiting for this."

Tarrion opened the letter and read.

 _Thane Tarrion_

 _We hope this letter finds you soon. We are nearing the final stage in building your manor, but there are a few problems involving the cellar. You said that you wanted a large, underground bath beneath the manor, but since it would severely undermine the foundations of the manor itself, we found it to be impossible to make it the exact way you described it. With your permission, we would like to move the cellar toward mountain that stands north-east of the manor. That way we can dig, without fear of damaging the foundations._

 _The remainder of the manor is almost completed. The following parts of your manor are finished:_

 _The Entry Hall_

 _The Main Hall + the two Floors above it._

 _The Master Bedroom that looks out over Lake Illinalta_

 _The Armory_

 _Both of the towers_

 _The several other Bedrooms_

 _The Kitchen_

 _The Second Cellar_

 _The Central Tower_

 _The Outhouse_

 _We still have to furnish all of the rooms. We will wait with this until everything is finished, and until the furnishing arrives. The following parts of the manor are not yet completed._

 _The Stables._

 _The Hunting Cabin_

 _The Bath_

 _We think that it will take us another three days to completely finish the manor, and then another two days, to fully furnish it. The most generous payments have been received, and are more than accepted. We hope to hear from you again soon._

 _BuildMaster Umar_

Serana looked at Tarrion and asked what this letter was about.

"About my house." Tarrion said. "I have my house build at Lake Illinalta. But I need to send a letter back."

They entered the Frozen Hearth Inn and Tarrion approached another courier that sat at a table and asked for parchment, a feather and ink. The couriers have all these supplies on them, in case someone wants to write a letter, and so did this one. Tarrion wrote a quick letter and asked the courier to deliver it. After that he paid the innkeeper for the horses and left with Serana.

"So," Serana said. "You have your house build near a lake, and you are also the Archmage of the College of Winterhold. You have led an interesting life already."

Tarrion chuckled.

"Yes, yes indeed."

"So how did you become the Archmage?"

"That was something I did not plan." Tarrion said, and he remembered how one day he arrived at the college and had to prove himself to Faralda.

"Do you want the long story, or the short story?" he asked Serana.

"Well, it is a long road to Dragon Bridge, so tell me the long one."

And so Tarrion began telling how he became Archmage.

"I arrived at the College, with only the intention of learning about magic. I've always had a thing for magic. I don't know why, but it makes you feel different. Like you can do things others can't. Anyway, I arrived here and after a quick first lesson about Wards, we set out for Saarthal."

"What were you doing in an old Nordic Tomb?"

"'Learning about the history of magic', as Tolfdir would say it. I found this strange amulet that shattered a small wall as soon as I touched it. After going through hallways and corridors, we found a huge, strange orb. I still have no idea what it exactly was, but it sure was powerful. We brought it to the College, I was approached by one of the Psijic Order."

"Who are they?" Serana asked.

"Mages of some sort, protecting people differently than other mages." Tarrion said. "I'll have to admit, that I don't know for sure, but they seem to be neither good, nor evil. Just protective. They warned me of coming danger, and urged me to find a certain staff, called the Staff of Magnus. The Archmage's assistant, Mirabelle, gave me a lead that lead me to the Dwemer ruins of Mzulft."

"Let me guess." Serana smiled. "'Another long dungeon'?"

Tarrion nodded.

"Unfortunately, yes. I hate Dwarven ruins. They are huge, and filled with traps and dangerous Automatons. And of course the Falmer are also hanging around there, with spiders and Chaurus. All in all, it is a recipe for the stuff of nightmares. But I finally found the location of the Staff, but then I was warned to go back to the College. It turns out that a High Elf named Ancano, who was a Thalmor agent, tried to use the Orb, what most now called the 'Eye of Magnus', and in a huge burst of power he killed the Archmage."

Tarrion could still see how Savos Aren's body flew through a window and how he found it mutilated on the College grounds.

"Mirabelle gave me another lead that lead me to the ancient ruins of Labyrinthian. Again a huge dungeon, filled with the undead, and even an undead-Dragon. As I went deeper and deeper into the tomb, I heard a voice calling. First in the Dragon Language, but later in the Common Tongue. He, or 'it', thought I was someone else."

"What was it?" Serana asked.

"A Dragon Priest." Tarrion said. "A powerful, undead mage, who once served the Dragons. It was not easy, but after many destructive blows, I was able to defeat it and it was he that held the Staff of Magnus."

Tarrion sighed, as if the memory of the journey alone made him tired.

"I then returned to the College, only to find that it was engulfed in a massive barrier. I saw the others trying to get past it, but nothing seemed to breach it. But I thought that the Staff of Magnus would do at least something, and with it I walked through the barrier like it was not even there. Everyone else was forced to stay behind and I was forced to fight Ancano on my own."

"How did you manage to defeat him?"

"That was strange." Tarrion continued. "I fired spells at him, or tried to ram a sword through his gut, but nothing seemed to touch him. I then fired with the Staff at the Eye and broke the bond it had with Ancano. The eye opened and I fought with Ancano, since he was now vulnerable. But he knocked me away with a powerful spell and tried to reconnect with the eye, but then something went wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"The Eye seemed to fight back. I don't know what exactly happened, but the Eye opened and a huge amount of energy emanated from it. The bond seemed different and not even a second later, the bond broke and Ancano was sucked into the Eye. It then began to shake heavily, causing the entire College to shake on its foundations but I used the Staff to calm it, and close it. Then three of the Psijic Monks showed up and claimed it was for the best that they would safeguard it. They also claimed that it would be fitting if I would become the Archmage. Thank goodness the others agreed."

Tarrion had finished the story, and Serana looked at him with admiration, and Tarrion felt his face become red.

"Wow." Serana said. "So you, singlehandedly, went through several dungeons, killed an undead Dragon, a Dragon priest, and a crazy Elf that wanted to destroy the world?"

"I'm not sure about the 'destroying the world' part, but… yes."

"But, that leaves me wondering what this house has to do with you being Archmage."

Tarrion looked surprised at Serana.

"I never said it had anything to do with that. I have that house build, because a thane needs a proper house. And since I can decide for myself how I want it, and since I can afford it, I thought that a manor overlooking a beautiful lake would do nicely."

"Wait! You are the thane of Falkreath as well? How did that happen?"

"Do you want the short story, or the long one?"

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Authors Notes=

So there is that :) A little bit of backstory about how Tarrion became Archmage, and some extra stuff about what it means to be a Werewolf. I hope I did not piss anyone off by writing this, because it is not entirely in-line with the Skyrim-lore, but oh well. I already mentioned that I will probably make a few adjustments and alterations in the lore. I also made the death of Ancano a bit different. I made it up as I was writing it :) Thought it would be fun

Concerning Lakeview Manor:

I wanted to make that house a bit bigger than it is in the game. The Hearthfire DLC is fun, but it did make me want even more, when it comes to the housing of the Dragonborn. So yes, Lakeview Manor is gonna be big, with almost every possible house-addition forged in one big manor + even more random stuff that would go nicely with the house. The place is going to be pretty big, and we'll visit it later in other Arcs.

Oh, and 'BuildMaster Umar'? I just made that name up, since I thought it would make no sense if Tarrion builds that big house of his all by himself.

Dragon Language used:

 _None used_

 **Characters:**

 **Mirabelle:** Assistant to the Archmage, and 'runs the day-to-day operations'. Died while the Dragonborn was getting the Staff of Magnus.

 **Ancano:** Main antagonist during the College of Winterhold quest-line. High Elf, Thalmor, Professional jerk, and dies during the final confrontation.

 **Urag gro-Shub:** Librarian of the Arcanaeum at the CoW. Old Orc, grumpy, but nice guy.

 **Tolfdir:** Master Alteration mage, and is the one that teaches you some stuff about Wards. Old man, and gets a massive boner when it comes to safety.

 **Aela:** She-Werewolf, practically the signature Skyrim lady. Light brown hair, huntress, and your 'fore-bearer' (you get your Lycanthropy from her).

 **Molag Bal:** Daedric Lord. More stuff on him later in the story.

PS: Sorry about the twice re-upload. I saw a few mistakes in spelling and had to change them

(As always)

BIG PPS: I am Dutch (from the Netherlands) so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please let me know.


	7. Scroll Scouting 3

Scroll Scouting Part 3

 _-Haafingar-_

After a long, but pleasant journey the two companions arrived at their destination. The sun had already come up and Serana donned her hood. In the town of Dragon bridge they asked around about the Moth Priest, but none of the inhabitants seemed to know anything.

"Are you sure you haven't seen anything? He would look like an old man, probably clad in grey and he would have an escort of Imperial soldiers."

"Your companion already asked the same. No, I have not seen anything."

After the two of them asked every person at least twice they entered the Four Shields Tavern to think. Serana wanted to get indoors as soon as possible, since the sun would burn her skin.

"He is not here," Serana said. "nor did he pass through the town. Are you sure the orc was right?"

Tarrion nodded.

"Yes, I trust him not to give us false leads."

"Then where else could he be?" she asked and she grabbed a chair.

Tarrion ran all possible situations through his head.

"It is possible that he left for Dragon Bridge, but never arrived here."

"So now we have to scour every last nook of Skyrim to find this guy? Great." Serana sighed.

"It's not so bad." Tarrion tried to cheer her up. "I'm sure stories would be told of this."

Serana looked at him.

"'The Tale of the great Moth priest hunt'. Not something I'd like to read."

"I was thinking; 'The Two Adventurers seeing the World', but if you don't like that title…"

Serana had no response to this, and unless Tarrion's eyes were deceiving him, he saw a slight blush on her face.

The doors to the tavern were slammed open and a man almost fell through.

"There has been an attack!"

The innkeeper looked up and walked up to the man.

"Easy now Lodvar. What happened?"

"Bodies!" Lodvar said. "Almost a dozen of them, just south of the bridge. Imperial soldiers and an cart… It… It looks like a bandit attack, but some of the bodies…"

"What is it?" Tarrion asked.

"Some of the bodies are Vampires! Their eyes are red and their skin is charred in the sun!"

Tarrion felt a hand on his shoulder, and heard Serana whisper.

"Come on. We have to go."

Tarrion followed Serana out of town and until they crossed the large bridge he asked why they had to leave.

"Because I think that these Vampires attacked for a reason."

"What do you mean?"

Serana explained.

"Remember what I told you about that prophecy my father became obsessed with? He wants to understand it better, try to find out what he needs to do to make it come true. But to do that he first needs the Elder Scroll. Since I have it, he will look for something else, or rather 'someone' else. Someone that can read an Elder Scroll. A Moth priest."

"And you think he knows that that there is one in Skyrim right now?"

"My father has eyes and ears everywhere. I think he gave the order to capture anyone that even looks like a Moth Priest. We have to move."

Tarrion and Serana followed the road to the south, and a bit later they found the scene of the attack. An overturned cart blocked the road and almost a dozen bodies were lying still on the ground. Most of them were Imperial soldiers, but some of them were clad in dark robes, and had red, bloodshot eyes and a charred skin.

"Vampires." Tarrion said to himself.

It looked like the Vampires left no survivors, but when Tarrion searched one of the bodies, he found a note.

 _I have new orders for you._

 _Prepare an ambush just south of Dragon Bridge. Take the Moth priest to Forebears' Holdout for safekeeping until I can break his will._

 _Malkus_

"Serana! He was here." Tarrion said.

"You found something?"

"Yes. They took him to forebears' Holdout."

Tarrion gave Serana the note.

"Where is this place?" she asked.

"Not too far from here. It's an old cave, that way."

They reached Forebears' Holdout quickly. It was clear that something, or someone, was dragged in here because Tarrion saw many tracks. Many footsteps were still visible, along with claw-marks. When they entered the place they saw more footsteps, claw-marks and now also signs of struggle.

After a few small tunnels they reached a vast open hall. It looked like a small fortress was build inside the cave, with its own walls, gate and towers. Although Tarrion could see a few figures move around near braziers and torches, Serana could see everything. She saw the hound-like creatures move around, the Vampires that stood watch and the river that flowed right through the cave.

Together they reached the bridge that crossed the river, and they reached the gate. It was open, but as soon as they walked through it, it closed behind them. Three Vampires jumped from the walls and attacked them. Despite that they realized that Serana was a Vampire, they attacked her nonetheless. And she fought back, nonetheless. She sliced the throat from one of her attackers, while Tarrion incinerated another. The third one tried to flee, but fell to the ground with a large Ice-spike in his back.

Tarrion could not help himself but to ask about the fact that Serana killed other Vampires without hesitation.

"You fight without hesitation." He said.

"Yes. So do you." she answered.

"But… it doesn't bother you that they were Vampires?... just like you." He added.

Serana took a long breath before she answered.

"…. No." she eventually said. "They attacked me, and I defended myself."

It was clear that there was more behind it, but he dared not to ask, and Serana did not want to talk about it.

"Please, let's just keep going."

They reached the top of the fortress where Tarrion saw something he had not seen before. A huge barrier, that looked nothing like a ward, stood in the middle of the room. Four huge stones surrounded the barrier, and they were engraved with runes and figures. The barrier seemed to be in constant motion, and it reminded Tarrion of the barrier that Ancano had created when he controlled the Eye of Magnus. A total of six Vampires stood around the barrier and one of them noticed them.

"There they are! Malkus! They're here!"

One of the Vampires looked up. His hair was pitch black and he smiled viciously.

"I was wondering when you would come here, Tarrion."

Tarrion looked at the Vampires, surprised to hear his own name.

"How do you know my name?"

The Vampire simply chuckled.

"Ha! I know more than you think. I heard from our Lord that you would come for the priest. But you are too late. You will not have him!"

The vampires attacked, and Serana and Tarrion fought for their lives. They were outnumbered, but they were also much stronger. Tarrion shattered the spine from one of his opponents, while Serana buried her dagger in another's neck. She twisted the knife, effectively severing the spine. The Vampires were fast, and Tarrion had to use his strength to block and stagger them. He quickly cast Bane of the Undead, and both Vampires screamed in agony. They tried to flee the glowing circle Tarrion just cast, but he grabbed them both and shot lightning through their heads. They fell limp to the ground.

Serana used her speed to match her opponents' and she staggered one of them, and finished him off with another Ice-spike. Only Malkus was left, but he was stronger than the others. He cast a powerful spell on Tarrion, sending red light, weakening him. Serana distracted him, which gave Tarrion enough time to fire a Thunderbolt, killing Malkus instantly.

Tarrion let out a long breath.

"Ah… Are you alright?" Serana asked.

"Yes… don't worry about me." he panted. "It takes more than a bit of red light to stop me."

"He tried to drain you of your life. If he had time enough, he would have killed you with ease."

Tarrion looked up confused.

"That is what he did?"

"Yes," Serana said. "Most Vampires can do that, but only the powerful ones can kill you with it."

"Right…. Well let's get that priest out of there."

The Moth priest had watched from behind the barrier and seemed to stand still, like he waited for something.

"How do we deactivate this barrier?" Tarrion asked.

"Maybe with this."

Serana showed him a Weystone. It was a fist-sized rock engraved with runes and figurines, just like the giant stones that surrounded the barrier. Tarrion looked around and saw a pedestal standing atop a small, stone staircase. He walked up to it and saw that the pedestal had the same runes and figurines engraved on it as the Weystone, and he placed it on the pedestal.

Immediately the ground started to shake, and the giant stones that surrounded the barrier started to sink into the ground. The barrier started to fade away, until it was completely gone and the Moth priest stood amidst a few large, engraved stones.

"My master is dead, but I will carry out his will. I will avenge him."

The old man grabbed a small dagger and charged at Serana. Because she did not expect this, she could not duck away in time, and the priest sliced her arm. Tarrion still stood on the pedestal and knew he could not reach him in time and so he Shouted.

TIID

Time slowed and Tarrion ran toward the priest and hit him hard on the back of his head. The man fell limp to the ground and dropped his dagger.

"Curse this priest!"

Serana had her hand over her arm and Tarrion could see dark, red blood flowing out of the wound.

"Let me help you." he said and he cast a healing spell on her arm. But nothing happened.

"Normal healing spells don't work on Vampires." Serana said, as she gritted her teeth. "But don't worry about me. Vampires can heal their own wounds much faster."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes. I'm fine. That priest could not aim that well."

"Why did he attack us anyway?"

"He was bitten." Serana explained. "He was Malkus' thrall."

"Is he still?"

"I don't think so. Killing the master and a good hit on the head, tends brings people around again."

Serana suddenly stumbled, and almost fell. She managed to grab Tarrion just in time.

"Hey, easy there."

Tarrion saw that Serana was clearly not 'fine'.

"You are not alright."

"Don't worry about me." Serana said, but Tarrion could hear the fatigue in her voice. "I'm just a bit woozy, that's all."

Tarrion saw that there was clearly no way to convince her to rest.

The Moth priest woke up a bit later. As soon as he saw the look Serana had in her eyes he pleaded.

"Please… please that was not me. That was not me you were fighting. I could see through my own eyes, but I could not control my actions."

"Easy, old man. Easy" Tarrion said, and he raised his hand in a calming gesture. "We know."

"Oh.. oh, alright." the priest nodded in relief. "Then… Then I should thank you, the both of you, for saving me from these Vampires. They claimed they had some plans in store for me."

"We know that too," Serana said and she rubbed her arm. "because we need you for the same purpose."

"Oh, really?" The man seemed surprised, but not scared. "Well, no more riddles. What do you need me for?"

"Let us first know your name."

"Oh.. yes, of course. My name is Dexion Evicus. I am a scholar, currently in Skyrim on a search for information regarding Elder Scrolls."

"Well, then today is your lucky day." Tarrion said. "Because we have an Elder Scroll, and we would like you to read it."

"You have an Elder Scroll?"

Dexion was clearly surprised by this, and also delighted.

"Really? Well…. That is… that is amazing. I would very much like to help you with this, but I do need some preparations before I can read one."

"In that case I would like to ask you to come to Fort Dawnguard. It is located to the south-east of Riften, near Stendarr's Beacon."

"Hmm. Well, if I you'll let me read an Elder Scroll, I suppose I could do that for you. Very well then. I will meet you there."

 _-Falkreath Hold-_

After they saved Dexion, Serana and Tarrion lend him one of their horses. Serana now sat behind Tarrion on his horse and tried to keep her balance as best she could. Riding without a saddle was difficult, but she managed just fine. Right after they passed Whiterun Tarrion and Serana went south towards Riverwood. Tarrion wanted to check on the construction of his manor near Lake Illinalta, and he thought that it would be a good thing to do, now that they were nearby. Dexion went straight for Fort Dawnguard, after Tarrion gave him the exact location, and so they went separate ways.

After they passed through Riverwood, they followed the sound of hammers and saws. Tarrion saw from a distance that the building was coming along nicely and all the towers were already finished. The builders greeted him with a slight bow, and Umar explained what they were doing.

"There are no issues as far as we can tell. The construction goes as planned, and we received your letter, concerning the bath."

"Ah, good." Tarrion said and he looked out over his manor. It was not finished yet, but it already looked impressive, and he thought that even a Jarl would envy him.

"This is going to be your house?" Serana asked. "That is impressive. Who is invited?"

"Invited? What do you mean?"

"Are you going to live in this place all by yourself?"

"No, of course not." Tarrion answered. "I will invite others to come over to visit occasionally, and of course my housecarl Rayya will live here as well."

"Well, however you want to do it, it will be the talk of the hold." Umar remarked. "I will say that this is the biggest manor I ever had to build. But I'm happy to do it."

"Because you love your job, or because there is a fat purse in for it?"

"Both."

Tarrion and Serana left soon after, because there was not much they could do, and also because they had to go and report back at Fort Dawnguard. They took the road that led past Helgen, and followed the mountain path to the western ends of the rift.

The night slowly began to fall, and the stars came out. The skies were mostly clear, except for a few clouds that dropped a few snowflakes here and there. Tarrion slowly started to feel that he had not slept in almost two days and he longed for a good, long rest in a warm bed. Serana seemed to feel the same way, because she had her eyes already closed and rested her head on Tarrion's shoulder. He did not mind this, and thought that it would be for the best that at least one of them got their rest.

But when they reached the slopes of the mountain and the beginning of the Rift, Tarrion realized that there was something wrong. Serana had not said anything since they passed Helgen, and she seemed to be fast asleep. But just when they passed the last few rocky formations, she fell off the horse and laid still on the ground.

"Serana?"

Tarrion jumped off his horse and ran towards her. He lifted her head, and noticed that she was not breathing.

"Serana! Wake up!"

The sky had grown darker, and it slowly started to rain. Tarrion looked around and saw a small hut. It looked like it was abandoned, and he lifted Serana in his arms and carried her to it.

The hut was indeed abandoned, but there was still a bed pressed against a wall. Tarrion laid Serana on the bed and tried to wake her up. But she did not respond, and although he did not know why, he felt himself panic.

"Come on, Serana! Wake up! Think, dammit think!" he told himself. "What does a Vampire need?"

The answer came to him quicker than he thought.

"Blood."

Without any hesitation he grabbed a dagger from his belt and pulled the sleeve from his left arm away. He gritted his teeth and made a large cut in his arm. The warm blood flowed out immediately and the wooden floor coloured red. He carefully opened Serana's mouth and held his bleeding wrist over it. The red blood flowed fast in her mouth, and Tarrion had to withhold himself from grunting in pain.

After a few moments Serana began to move, and still Tarrion did not remove his bleeding wrist from her mouth. She suddenly opened her eyes and harshly grabbed Tarrion wrist and sucked his blood out. He forced her back on the bed and held her down.

"Don't move." he said, and he looked in her red, glowing eyes.

He then saw a look in her eyes he had not seen before. Tarrion did not know what this look meant, but he felt different because of it. It strengthened his resolve and still did not move his hand.

But after another few moments he felt himself become weaker. Be began to daze and could not see straight, and still he did not remove his wrist. Serana had her eyes closed and drank his blood, and Tarrion could see that she started to feel better. She grabbed his hand again, but this time it was not with a firm grip, but a gentle, soft touch and she moved his wrist to her mouth. Tarrion could feel how her soft lips enclosed the wound, and how her tongue licked the blood away. He even thought he heard a slight moan, but he was too dazed to be sure.

Everything became black before his eyes, and he fell to the ground.

"Tarrion!"

Serana jumped from the bed and looked at him. Tarrion was breathing heavily and was unable to stand up.

"Horse…. pack…. vials….. red…. and green….." he moaned.

Serana lifted him carefully on the bed and ran towards the horse.

"Red and green vials. Red and green vails." she repeated to herself.

She rummaged through the packs as fast as she could and finally found two vials, one with red liquid and one with green liquid. She ran back to the hut and uncorked both vials and mad Tarrion drink them. The last thing Tarrion saw was a terrified Serana looking at him.

Tarrion opened his eyes a few hours later. He heard rain pouring down and thick drops hammered down on the hut. He moaned and tried to get up, but a pale hand forced him down.

"Rest… please."

Serana appeared next to him and she gently pushed him back. Tarrion saw that same look in her eyes. She looked surprised, but in a thankful way, and he saw a tear crawling down her cheek.

"I… you…. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Tarrion said.

He looked at his wrist and saw dark cloth wrapped around it. He saw that Serana used a few lines of cloth from her own clothing to bandage his wound, and a large piece of her cloak was missing. She sat next to him on the bed and looked at him.

"Why did you do it? You almost killed yourself."

Tarrion tried to sit, but had to lean against the wall. He still felt too weak to stand up.

"You would have died otherwise." he said. "I couln't just do nothing and let you die."

"Most people would have."

"But I am not most people."

Serana opened her mouth, and closed it again without saying anything and Tarrion saw another tear crawling down her cheek

"No-one has ever done that for me."

She looked him straight in his eyes.

"…. Thank you…."

Tarrion wanted to say something back, but could only nod. He did not know what to say. He held his left hand up and rubbed it.

"I'm sorry… I wanted to heal it but…..I don't know how…."

But Tarrion leaned forward and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you."

Then, completely unexpected for both Tarrion and Serana, she leaned forward and kissed him. Then she left the hut and walked into the rain. Tarrion stayed on the bed, completely taken by surprise, not knowing what to do.

It took him a few moments to come to his senses and he gathered his strength and walked outside. Serana stood beside the horse and stroked its manes.

"I'm afraid we'll have to wait until it stops raining."

Serana refused to look at him, and it was clear that she wanted to move further.

Tarrion gathered his strength and Shouted to the skies.

LOK VAH KOOR

A thundering sound echoed through the mountains behind them and Serana quickly turned around, only to see Tarrion fall to his knees. Tarrion was barely strong enough to stand up and the shout drained him of strength even more. But it worked nonetheless, because it stopped raining and the clouds vanished like smoke.

"How did you...?"

Tarrion shook his head and Serana helped him up.

"You… you are Dragonborn?"

She looked at him with both surprise and fear. Tarrion only nodded and gestured to the horse.

"The horse."

The horse was scared by the sound of the Thu'um, and was about to run.

"Get it, I'll be fine."

Tarrion turned around and entered the hut, and Serana ran to capture the horse. It did not take long, and Serana had to help Tarrion to get back in the saddle. Tarrion was still very weak, but Serana helped him stay up and guided the horse in the right direction. During the journey neither of them said a word. Both were too occupied with their thoughts about what happened in the hut.

 _-Fort Dawnguard-_

"Ah, my rescuer. It's good to see you again."

"Yes, it's good to see you again too, Dexion." Tarrion answered.

He tried his best to stand up, but found himself unable to do so. He grabbed a crate and used it as a chair.

"So, you've found your way here safely I hope?"

Dexion seemed surprisingly excited and happy.

"Oh, yes of course. Your friends here have made me feel like an honoured guest, and might I ad, this is a remarkable fortress. I would very much like to study this place."

Isran walked up to Tarrion and looked at him.

"Are you alright? You look a bit pale."

Serana looked up and seemed afraid of what Tarrion might say.

"Yes, yes I'm fine." Tarrion said. "I haven't slept in a while, that's all."

Serana sighed in relief.

"I'm afraid we don't have time for studying this fortress right now." Serana mentioned. Her mood was lighter than it had been before, and a slight smile was visible.

"We have an Elder Scroll to read. Are you prepared enough?"

"Ah, yes. I am as prepared as I can be now. Let's see what secrets this Scroll can tell us."

Serana handed the Scroll over to Dexion who seemed almost frantic with happiness. It looked like he was shaking, that is how much he wanted to read the Scroll.

"Now if everyone would please be quiet, I must concentrate." he said and he opened the Scroll.

"I see a vision before me. An image, of a great bow…. I know this weapon! It is Auriels Bow. Now a voice cries out.

 _Among the Night's Children, a Dread Lord will rise._

 _In an age of Strife, when Dragons return to the world of Men_

 _Darkness will mingle with Light, and the Night and Day will be as One._

Now the voice fades and the words begin to shimmer and distort, but wait! There is more here. It seems the Power of the Bow is written on other Scrolls. Yes, I see them now! One contains the Secrets of the Dragons, and the other tells of the potency of Ancient Blood. My vision darkens, and I see no more."

Dexion began to shake and Isran grabbed him before he would fall.

"To know the complete Prophecy, we must have the other two Scrolls. I… I must rest… the reading has made me…. weary."

"Come on old man, you should get some rest." Isran said and he led Dexion away, leaving Serana and Tarrion alone.

"Great." Tarrion said, and Serana looked at him. "We found a Moth Priest, only to find out that we need two more Scrolls. This is starting to look like a wild goose chase."

"Maybe not." Serana said and she sat down next to Tarrion. "I know where we might find one, but we have to find someone else first."

"Who?"

"My Mother."

=End of Chapter=

=End of Arc=

* * *

=Authors Notes=

Ooowww snap! We gotta find mommy!

But for real, that wraps it up for this arc. This chapter is long, I know, but it was either that, or have two very short ones. I am also on a roll here, writing an entire chapter in one day. I have nothing else to do, so I might as well do this. This arc is indeed only three chapters long, but I am guessing that the next one will be a bit longer. But we'll get to that when the time comes. For now, I hope you liked it.

Dragon Language Used:

 _Lok Vah Koor: Sky Spring Summer (from the Clear Skies Shout)_

 _Tiid : Time (from the Slow Time Shout)_

Characters:

 **Lodvar:** Guy in Dragon Bridge, Turns out he has an affair with his brother's wife! The dog

 **Malkus:** Vampire found in Forebear's Holdout. No significance here. Just a douche


	8. Beyond Death 1

Beyond Death part 1

While Isran took care of Dexion, Serana took Tarrion to the roof of one of the towers of the fort. The stars still shone bright and the canyon bathed in the pale light of the moon. Tarrion saw that they were alone and the lower walls were patrolled by only one guard. He still felt weakened, for he lost a lot of blood. He knew that he needed to rest for at least a few days, but he knew that there was little time for that. He had removed the bandages on his arm and he had healed the wound, so that no-one could guess what happened. He knew that nobody would agree with him or with what he did, and especially Isran would probably kill Serana on the spot. He saw a few crates stacked against the ramparts and sat on one of them.

Serana looked out over the canyon, her hair slowly waving in the wind and her eyes shone bright in the dark.

"So…"

Tarrion stretched and sighed.

"We have to find your mother? Why exactly?"

"Well, I think she might have some information regarding one of the Elder Scrolls that we need."

"What makes you think that?"

Serana leaned against the ramparts.

"Remember when I said that my mother and I never wanted to follow my father in chasing this prophecy?"

Tarrion nodded. "I remember."

"Well, my mother became obsessed as well. Not with the prophecy, but more in trying to stop my father. I'm betting that she would know where to find the next Elder Scroll, and if we're very lucky, she actually has it herself."

"I thought you didn't know where she went?"

Serana seemed to think.

"The last time I saw her, she said she would go somewhere safe. Somewhere where my father would avoid searching. Other than that she never told me anything. But… the way she said it, 'somewhere safe.' It was cryptic and yet, she called attention to it."

"It sounds like she was being careful. Or maybe she didn't trust you either."

"Could be…. By the time she shut me in, she was just as obsessed as my father. But I just can't figure out why she said it that way. I can't imagine a place where my father wouldn't look, and he's had all this time too."

"Any ideas?" Tarrion asked.

"Well, I don't think she would be sealed away like me. I'm sure she wanted to stay awake and find a way to stop my father. But… no I have no idea."

"Castle Volkihar?"

Serana looked at Tarrion with a confused look.

"What?"

"'The closer you're at the danger, the farther you're from harm.' It makes no sense, I know but…"

"No wait!"

Serana jumped up and started to walk around.

"That actually does make sense! There is a garden in the castle's courtyard. My mother used it for her alchemy…. She always said my father couldn't stand the place. Too… peaceful."

"That is very risky of her, you know that right? Hiding under your fathers nose."

"Oh, definitely, but my mother is not a coward. I mean… I don't think we'll actually trip over her there, but it is worth a look. We can at least find some clues there."

"Alright, but why didn't you say something before?"

Serana looked at him.

"Half the people of your little crew would prefer to kill me, rather than even talk to me. That doesn't exactly make me want to open up. Even my father gave me a warmer welcome, and that is saying something."

"Does Harkon even care about you?"

Tarrion saw how Serana's expression changed, and she looked away.

"I'm sorry." Tarrion said. "That was… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."

"No, it's not that." Serana shook her head. "It…. I'm wondering the same thing. I hoped when he saw me again, something would wake inside him. Something of the man I once called father, but…. I guess I no longer matter to him. I'm simply… a means to an end."

Tarrion once again could almost feel the pain Serana felt, and he felt sorry for her. He wanted to tell her that all would be well, but he was not sure if it would, nor if it would help.

"Alright," he said, "but how do we get into the castle? I don't think they will let us use the front door."

Serana nodded.

"True, but maybe we don't need to. There is an unused inlet on the northern side of the island. The previous owners used it to get supplies into the castle. My father never used it, and I doubt he even remembers that it's there. I think that might be our way in."

"Very well then." Tarrion said. "Let's go infiltrate that castle."

He wanted to stand up but Serana stopped him.

"Not so fast, there is something else I wanted to talk to you about. Or actually, 'ask' you about."

Tarrion was surprised by this, but he fell back on the crate.

"I wanted to ask you about you being Dragonborn."

Tarrion tried to look surprised, like he did not know what she meant by that.

"Oh, please." Serana said. "When I asked you back at the hut, you nodded. Not only that but at Forebears' Holdout you used a Shout, and at the hut you did it again and it suddenly stopped raining. I am not an idiot, Tarrion."

Tarrion sighed and decided to tell the truth.

"Alright, you caught me. I am indeed Dragonborn, but don't tell anyone here. I preferred if they did not know."

"Why not?"

Tarrion sighed and leaned against the crates.

"The Dragonborn has power. A lot of power, and most people know this. When they find out that I am Dragonborn, they do one of two things. Either they are suddenly, extremely friendly, hoping to get on my good side that I would do a favour for them. Or they start to fear me, because they are afraid that I would destroy them, if they make me angry. They either fear me, or they are incredibly friendly, and it gets annoying."

"So, how powerful are you then?"

Tarrion let out a short laugh.

"As you saw I can calm the weather. At Forebears' Houldout I slowed-down time itself. I can increase the speed of my strikes, charge forward, breath fire or ice, disarm you, freeze you solid, bring a Dragon down from the skies, summon the animals of the wild to my aid, or calm them down and even summon a storm. And that… is not even half of what I can do with just my Voice."

Serana looked at Tarrion with her eyes wide open.

"By the gods…."

"Please don't fear me." Tarrion said.

"I don't." Serana answered. "But I am impressed."

Even-though Serana wanted to leave as soon as possible, Tarrion did not. He still felt too weak to travel all the way to castle Volkihar.

"Can we just wait until tomorrow morning? I think I'll feel better then."

Serana reluctantly agreed, because that meant she had to travel during daylight, and although the sun would not kill her, it would hurt her. But more than that, she now had to spend the night at Fort Dawnguard, and that meant staying in the same building as Vampire Hunters. Tarrion made sure no-one would touch her, but she still did not feel at ease, and she stayed in the same room as Tarrion. And while he slept, she waited.

Dawn was not far away and Serana sat in a chair next to the bed where Tarrion slept. He had taken off his armour before Serana had entered the room and he pulled the covers to his shoulders. But after a few hours of sleep and turning around in his bed, the covers had fallen below his chest. Serana saw the many scars he had on his chest, shoulders and back and wondered how he got them. She thought she saw bite-marks, sword wounds and burns.

In the one of the other rooms she heard movement. She knew that the others started to wake up, and so she woke Tarrion as well.

"We have to go."

Tarrion mumbled something and turned around, but did not wake up.

"Come on, we have to go. Wake up."

Serana grabbed his shoulder.

"HEY! GET AWAY FROM THERE!"

Serana turned around, and saw Isran entering the room. Without a word he grabbed her by her neck and dragged her away from Tarrion.

"I knew it! I tried to warn him, but he refused to listen, but now I have you!"

Isran pushed her against a wall and choked her.

"I got you now you bloodsucking bitch!"

"I… tried to…"

Serana tried to say something, but Isran pushed her so hard against the wall that she couldn't talk.

"You tried what? Don't think you can talk yourself out of it this time! I saw what you tried to do!"

Isran pulled a small, silver dagger and showed it to Serana.

"You are not going to enjoy this."

But before he could do anything else, a hand grabbed Isran's wrist and pulled it away from Serana. Tarrion woke up from all the noises, and his face radiated anger. With hardly any effort he grabbed Isran by his armour and lifted him up. Isran was forced to let Serana go and she fell to the ground. She looked up at Tarrion and saw why some people would fear him.

His face was moulded in a wolf-like shape of anger and he held Isran up with one arm. His scars made him look almost inhuman and his voice had become raw power.

"If you touch her again, I will feed you to the dragons!"

Isran tried to say something, but Tarrion threw him out of the room. As soon as he tried to get up again, Tarrion Shouted.

FUS

As soon as he uttered the Word of Power, a shockwave escaped from his mouth and Isran was forced down.

"I warn you again, Isran! If you touch her, I will not hesitate."

Tarrion saw how Durak, Agmaer and Celann came running.

"What in the name of the Gods is happening?" Celann aksed.

"We heard the commotion and someone Shout."

"I caught the bitch trying to feed." Isran said as he got up. "I saw her."

"She was not trying to feed, she was trying to wake me!"

Serana had gotten up as well and rubbed her throat.

"Isran, I know that you don't like Serana, but I couldn't give a rat's ass about that. She is trying to help us, but if you are too blind to see that, than that is your problem."

"You trust her more than us? You trust that bloodsucker more than a normal human?"

"Yes! She has saved my life, so I trust her and if any of you tries anything, it will be the last thing you will ever do. Alduin was no match for me, and neither are you."

"Alduin?..." Agmaer asked. "That means…. You are the Dragonborn?"

"Yes." Tarrion said. "You have been warned."

Tarrion slammed the door shut and grabbed his armour.

"You were right. We should go."

His voice was calm, but Serana could still hear a tone of anger. It was the first time she actually feared a human, but she felt something else as well. It was not gratitude, but something much stronger.

 _-Whiterun Hold-_

During most of the journey Serana dared not to ask Tarrion why he reacted like that. They took two of the horses at Fort Dawnguard and left. She could feel that Tarrion was still angry, but after they reached Whiterun Hold she felt that his anger had lessened enough.

"Why did you react that way?"

Tarrion said nothing. He looked forward and it almost looked like he ignored the question.

"Tarrion?"

"I don't know." he sighed. "I… I'm not sure. Just when I saw him holding you by your throat like that… and when he pulled that silver dagger, something snapped in me. I don't know why, but… I just lost it."

"Well… thanks… For helping me."

Tarrion nodded, but did not know what to say.

In an effort to distract him, Serana asked him about Alduin. It worked because Tarrion explained who Alduin was, and his mood seemed to lighten. He explained that Alduin was a Dragon, and that he was the first and most powerful dragon of them all.

"The World-Eater, he is sometimes called. A prophecy about him states that he will come at the End of Time to devour the world."

"And how did you defeat him."

Tarrion told Serana about the prophecy of the Dragonborn. How he was the only one that was able to defeat Alduin. Tarrion told of how he fought with him on the highest mountain, the Throat of the World, and how Alduin fled to Sovngarde. How Tarrion then captured a Dragon in Dragonsreach, and how the Dragon agreed to take him to Skuldafn.

"What is that?" Serana asked.

"A large fortress of some kind. On top of it there I found a portal that took me to Sovngarde."

"You actually went to Sovngarde? I thought you had to die to get there?"

Tarrion laughed.

"I thought so too, but there is a very convenient portal if you just want to visit the place. But I think that portal is gone now."

"Too bad." Serana said. "I would have liked to see it. But what did it look like? What happened when you entered it."

"As soon as I entered it, I felt different. I felt… I'm not sure… better? I guess that is what that place does to you. It is Sovngarde after all, I guess that place makes you feel happy, like all the world's problems are no more. But that was not to last. I tried to find Alduin, only to fall in his Soul Snare. A huge mist that made you lose your way to Shor's Hall. I felt despair and fear when I walked through it and I had to use my Voice to clear a path through it. I found the souls of others that have died. Countless soldiers and officers, people I once knew, but who were now dead."

"That must have been strange." Serana said, and Tarrion nodded.

"It was. At first they thought that I was dead too, but I told them I was not. They didn't believe me, and so I wandered on and after what seemed like an eternity, or maybe it was only a few moments, one tends to lose track of time there, I found Shor's Hall."

Tarrion sighed and he remembered what it looked like.

"A massive hall, made out of white stone, with huge doors. You had to cross a dangerous bridge made out of the bones of a leviathan to cross it. Inside… inside there were tables, chairs, benches and food and mead as much as one could ever want. Everyone was merry and toasted to each other's deeds. I met Ysgramor himself, and he told me that there were three of the Dragonborn waiting for me: Gormlaith GoldenHilt, Hakon One-Eye and Felldir the Old. They urged me to make haste to defeat Alduin, and they joined me in battle. We dispelled his mist, and fought him."

Tarrion sighed again.

"Gods, that was a battle. The very foundations of Sovngarde were shaking, and the always clear, starry skies were black with thunderclouds and fire rained down. Alduin was in his full power there, and with every roar the rocks cracked and the ground shook and his every breath unleashed an inferno so great, it was as if the sun itself had come down. But we were with four Dragonborn now, and we forced him down from the skies. And after a long battle Felldir staggered him, Gormlaith and Hakon struck his wings and I finally drove my sword through his skull. Then a deafening roar and rumble was heard and Alduin was killed. Every part of him incinerated and exploded, until a final shockwave marked his end."

He sighed again. He could still see it happen in front of him. How Hakon fell to his knees in relief and how Gormlaith hugged Tarrion.

"But since I did not die to reach Sovngarde, I was sent back, and they told me that I would be welcomed back, 'once I have completed my count of days'."

Tarrion no longer felt the anger he felt before, and he knew that Serana had tried to take his mind off what happened.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Serana asked.

"For taking my mind of what happened."

Together they rode on. The sun had just reached its highest point when they passed through Rorikstead. They still had half of the road ahead, but they both knew that the rest would be more pleasant. Tarrion recommended that they would go to Solitude first, leave the horses there, and go on foot to the Castle. It would also give them the opportunity to grab something to eat at the inn, and Serana agreed.

She asked Tarrion if he felt strong enough, and he nodded.

"I still feel a bit dizzy, but I am fine. I think that I will be my old self by the time we reach the castle. And just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"If you feel hungry… I mean thirsty….. I mean…. When you feel like you could use a drop of blood, ask me. I don't want you to fall off the horse again."

Serana looked surprised.

"What?... are you sure?"

"Yes. If you need something, ask me. It would be better if I lose a bit of blood occasionally, than a lot in one go."

Serana felt hesitant, but nodded. She once again knew, that no-one else would do that for her, and although she was a Vampire, she felt a bit of warmth inside her. A warmth that she could not explain, but she hoped it wouldn't leave her.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Authors Notes=

This chapter was a bit more difficult to write. I tried to give it a bit of backstory and tried to add stuff, without making it seem like filler. The whole Sovngarde part I thought would be fun to ad, to give more backstory of how Tarrion defeated Alduin. I do hope to give Serana's mother a bit more backstory before we actually meet her, but we'll see. I think I can finish another chapter or two before school begins again.

But at any rate, I hope you enjoyed reading thus far.

Dragon language used:

 _Fus = Force (from the Unrelenting Force Shout)_

 _(Tarrion also gave away what else he could do with his Voice, but he never said the words.)_

 **Characters:**

 **Agmaer:** Nord male recruit of the Dawnguard.

 **Celann:** Breton male recruit of the Dawnguard, and an old friend of Isran.

 **Gormlaith Goldenhilt:** Ancient Nord Dragonborn who fights with you against Alduin in the end. Was killed by Alduin.

 **Hakon One-Eye:** Ancient Nord Dragonborn who fights with you against Alduin in the end.

 **Felldir the Old:** Ancient Nord Dragonborn who fights with you against Alduin in the end. He is the one that used an Elder Scroll to send Alduin adrift through time. (so he is the reason you have to deal with Alduin? The jerk :)

 **Alduin:** Seriously? You don't know him? Big bad dragon that tries to kill you? Rings a bell?

BIG PPS: I am Dutch (from the Netherlands) so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please let me know.


	9. Beyond Death 2

Beyond Death part 2

 _-Haafingar-_

The night had fallen. Together the two of them now descended the northern side of the mountains to the west of Solitude. They had left their horses at the stables near the city and now continued on foot. Large snowflakes fell from the grey clouds above them and a slight breeze came from the sea. They now followed the same path as they used before, when Tarrion brought Serana back to her home. Now they travelled it again, but for different reasons. This time they had come to infiltrate the castle and seek clues about Serana's mother, Valerica. Serana thought that she would know where to find an Elder Scroll, or that she would actually have one. Tarrion knew that these Scrolls are extremely rare, and even today, no-one knew exactly where they came from.

"Let's hope the boat is still there." Serana said.

Tarrion hoped so too. He used the boat to get off the island, when Harkon banished him. He just hoped that Harkon wouldn't send someone to retrieve it, and make it much more difficult for anyone to reach the castle.

"How did you get off the island?" he asked Serana. He suddenly wondered it, since he brought the boat to the mainland.

"I have my tricks." Serana simply stated.

"What kind of tricks? Did you transform yourself into a cloud of bats?"

"Oh, I see." Serana teased him. "So because I am a Vampire, I can transform into bats?"

"I don't know…. Can you?"

"…. Yes, actually. That is indeed what I did to get off the island."

"So, you would be able to do that again?" Tarrion asked.

"Yes, but I prefer not to used it."

"Why not?"

Serana sighed and looked out over the open sea. She could see the castle loom in the distance.

"Because it is a weird and unpleasant feeling to do that. You… I don't know… become this presence amidst all these bats, and it feels like your body is ripped into a hundred different pieces, and yet they still work. I don't know, it is a strange feeling, and I prefer not to use it."

"Huh…. So you actually can transform into a cloud of bats. I was joking when I said that. I thought that those abilities were just stories and legends. I never thought they were real."

"Why did you think they were only stories?"

"Well, because I've never seen a Vampire do that."

Serana laughed.

"That is because not all Vampires can do that. Almost all Vampires today are half-breeds. They were bitten by another Vampire, and gained their Vampirism that way. I got it through a ritual, as I told you. I am not a half-breed Vampire. I am a pure-blooded Vampire, as are my mother and my father. We have other powers, that other Vampires will never have."

Tarrion looked at Serana and saw something different in her. She had been kind and humble since he first met her, but for the first time he saw power in her. He saw that she had more power than he first anticipated, and that she never used those powers before.

"So… that thing Harkon did when he offered me his blood… transforming into this bat-like creature…. You can do that too?"

Serana sighed. "Yes, but I have never used it, nor will I ever use it."

They reached the small pier and the boat was still tied up there, as Tarrion left it when he was banished.

"Your father did banish me from the castle. Do you think he will mind if I do return?"

"Ha… What one doesn't know, doesn't hurt one. Besides, we will enter parts of the castle that he probably never visited anyway."

Tarrion rowed Serana to the island again, but he didn't head for the two watchtowers. Serana told him that there was an old, small port built in the inlet where they would go. So Tarrion steered clear from the southern part of the island and instead rowed past the western parts to the northern end of the island.

"Look, there." and Serana pointed over his shoulder. Tarrion looked up and saw that there was indeed a small port build in the cliffs. The same dark stone from the castle was used to build the port and Tarrion saw that it once must have been a place to trade goods with the owners of the castle. But it looked like the many centuries had left their mark and port had fallen to ruin. The stone piers were broken and a small tower had crumbled to a pile of rubble.

Tarrion rowed the boat to one of the piers and it ran aground there on the rubble. As soon as they stepped out of the boat they heard a growling cry. Three draugr came running with swords and shields in their hands, and behind them a large skeleton with a large axe blocked a black door. It didn't take long for the draugr to lie dead again, for they were no match for the combined strength of Serana and Tarrion. The skeleton that blocked the door tried to hit Tarrion, but was fell apart after al large Ice-spike hit it in the head.

"Looks like there were a few guards left to guard this place." Tarrion said, but as he turned around he saw that the skeleton had gotten up again. It's body hovered above the ground and the bones took their place again, reassembling the body.

"What the…?"

Tarrion grabbed the two bones that made the upper legs and ripped them away from the rest of the body, and the rest of the bones fell dead to the ground.

"Oh, yes." Serana said. "I remember reading something about these skeletons that you have to kill twice. I didn't think we would run into them."

They made sure that the skeleton stayed dead and entered the castle again.

They entered a dark and damp place. A small stream divided the room in two and three small bridges were made to cross it.

"The old water-cistern." Serana said. "Some days this place would smell like…. Be glad you weren't here then."

"You came here often?" Tarrion asked and Serana nodded.

"Yes, when I wanted to be alone for a while or when my parents were too busy. It is not the most safe place, I'll agree, but I guess a little Vampire girl was enough to scare-off the rats."

"It sounds like a lonely childhood."

"It was." Serana sighed. "But… I got used to it."

They heard a loud, unnatural bark and Tarrion saw four glowing eyes charge at him. He Shouted and fire escaped from his mouth to stop the incoming attackers. For a second he saw the same black, monstrous hounds he had seen at the Hall of the Vigilants. They looked like they were extremely underfed and their skin was black, their eyes were glowing and their maws were filled with sharp teeth. As soon as they saw the fire they tried to run, but they were incinerated before they could turn around. One of them tried to jump into the stream, but he died before he could reach it.

"What are those things?"

"Death Hounds. Creations made by Molag Bal to serve as guardians for Vampires."

"He made those things as well?" Tarrion asked and Serana nodded.

"I would guess that they are to dogs, what Vampires are to Humans. I don't know how exactly they came to be, but their bite is as cold as the grave."

When Tarrion walked past their corpses he felt that the air around them felt cold, and it looked like cold air leaked out of their mouths.

They came across two small bridges. One of which was raised, and there were two pathways that they could choose.

"Take a left here." Serana said. "This is one of those weird, double security measures that my father had made when he got paranoid. There should be a lever at the end."

Tarrion found the lever guarded by a large Frostbite Spider, who was killed soon after. With the second bridge down, they could move forward and after a few small staircases they reached a door and stepped into the central courtyard.

"Ah, finally. We've made it to the courtyard."

But as soon as Serana stepped in the open, she saw a shocking site. The courtyard, which Tarrion imagined to be quite different, was in ruins. Serana had told him that her mother had a garden here for her alchemy, so he imagined a place filled with plants, herbs and mushrooms. A place of life, even in the middle of a Vampire castle, with a few statues and maybe even a fountain. But nothing could be further from the truth. The courtyard was, in one word, dead. A few old trees stood sinisterly, bending over the two of them, with dry, dead branches and not a single leaf was to be found. The middle of the courtyard had a large sundial, with some of the crests missing. There were three towers surrounding the courtyard, but all of them were blocked by rubble and debris. Tarrion saw a large area surrounded by a small wall with an iron fence, and in there he saw dead plants and two more trees, who were old and broken. The only life Tarrion saw in this place of death, were Nightshade flowers and a bit of fungus surrounding a small, almost dried-up pond.

"Oh, no."

Serana walked past him and looked around, and silently muttered to herself.

"No… no, this... this can't be. What happened to this place?"

She walked up to one of the towers and had a look of disbelief in her eyes.

"This used to lead into the castle's great hall…. It looks like my father had it sealed off."

She walked to the garden and Tarrion saw a small, iron gate that was ripped from its hinges and thrown away amongst the plants. Serana stood in front of the garden and tried to grab the dry remains of a flower, only for it to crumble to dust. She fell to her knees.

"This was once my mother's garden. This… the smell of the herbs once filled this entire place. It… it…. Do you know how beautiful something can be when it's tended by a master for hundreds of years?... She would hate to see it like this."

Tarrion walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder. Serana sighed.

"It looks like my father went on a rampage as soon as my mother fled. We used to walk through here after evening meals…. It was beautiful once."

Tarrion could not find the words that would express how he felt. He once again saw the contrast between Serana and her father.

"It looks like wanted to put the past behind him."

"And then he just walled it off." Tarrion said as Serana got up.

"It looks like it. Maybe if he spent more time with us, he would have recognized the beauty for himself."

They both walked around, looking for something, but neither of them knew for what exactly. Tarrion found one of the missing crests and saw that there was a different image on it. It had an image of a crescent moon on it, and it looked it was made of jade. He turned around and walked to the sundial, and saw that on all of the images showed a different moon, instead of a sun.

"Serana? What is this?"

Serana walked up to him and took a long look.

"It is a moondial, but there is something wrong. There are a few crests missing and the dial is askew."

"A moondial?" Tarrion asked. "Why do you have a moondial?"

"My mother's idea. The previous owners of the castle had a sundial, and that obviously did not appeal to my mother. She persuaded an Elven artisan to make some improvements. You can see the phases of the moon, Masser and Secunda."

"Does it work?"

"Well, that's the thing. What's the point of a moondial? If you want to know the phase of the moon, you can just look up. I always wondered why she didn't just have the whole thing ripped out. But she loved it. I guess it's like having a piece of art, If you're into that sort of thing."

Tarrion still held one of the crests and thought it would be fitting to put it back where it came from. He saw that there were three crests missing. As soon as he placed the crest back, he heard a strange click. Like something snapped in place.

"Serana, can you try to find another crest?"

"What for?"

"I'm not sure." Tarrion answered. "A hunch."

It did not take them long to find the remaining crests. One of them was found behind an old pot, and the last one underneath a broken bench. They placed both crests back into place and Tarrion hoped for something, although he did not know what.

"And now?" Serana asked and Tarrion thought for a moment.

"You said the dial is askew. Which way does it point normally?"

Serana moved to the crest that showed the new moon of Masser.

"Here."

Tarrion grabbed the dial and pushed it toward Serana. It was heavy, but as soon as the dial pointed at Serana, they both heard a deep rumble. Tarrion jumped off just in time, because the floor began to sink and a winding staircase appeared.

"Very clever mother, very clever."

Serana looked down the staircase and saw that a small torch lit the end.

"How did you even know this was here?"

Tarrion shrugged.

"A hunch."

"Well, in that case, tell me when you have another 'hunch', because this was a really good one. I don't know what is down there, but I bet those tunnels lead right under the broken towers into the old ruins."

"Ladies first."

Together they descended the staircase and entered the ruins. They found themselves in old hallways, dimly lit by only a few torches and candles. Serana had no problems with this, but since Tarrion did not have night-vision he stumbled often, and kicked multiple loose stones. Eventually Serana grabbed his hand and led him safely through the darker corridors.

"I've never even seen this part of the castle before. We should be careful. I don't know what might be down here."

After a few minutes of walking, or in Tarrion's case stumbling, through dark hallways, they reached a large hall. A long table stood in the middle and several chairs stood around it, and in each of them a skeleton sat.

"I have another hunch." Tarrion said quickly, and not a moment later the skeletons came to life.

Before they could draw their swords however, Tarrion Shouted and breathed fire on the undead, and they turned to ash before they could react.

As they continued they encountered more skeletons, patrolling the hallways.

"Your mother left a lot of guards here." Tarrion said as he decapitated one.

"I know!" Serana answered while she threw another against the wall, and it collapsed in pieces. "She must have been hiding something in here, and these guys are to repel intruders."

A deep, loud roar was heard and out of the shadows a gargoyle jumped forward. Tarrion could not react in time and was thrown against a wall and he could hear his ribs crack. Serana ducked under one of the gargoyles claws and rammed her dagger in its chest and pulled it downward, tearing the beast open. Black blood gushed out of the wound and the gargoyle fell dead on the ground.

"Yea, that hurt."

Tarrion slowly got up, but he couldn't move his left arm. It hang useless and limp frim his shoulder, and he felt it was dislocated.

"Are you alright?"

Serana walked up to him, and her right hand was black with blood.

"I think my shoulder is dislocated." Tarrion said and he gritted his teeth.

"You want me to put it back?"

"No," Tarrion joked. "I'll ask the next skeleton we meet…. Ach!... you know what?... never mind, you do it."

Serana smiled and gently grabbed his arm, slowly pulled it backwards and put her other hand on his shoulder. Tarrion gritted his teeth again.

"Please… put it in."

"'Put it in'?" and Serana laughed. "That is the first time someone asked me that."

"Dammit, woman! Just put it.. AAAAHHHH!..."

Serana waited for him to relax his shoulder and then pushed his arm back into place. An unsettling crack was heard and Tarrion jumped away and punched right through a door.

"GODS! That hurt!"

"You shouldn't punch through doors then." and Tarrion laughed sarcastically.

Serana licked the gargoyle's blood from her hand, and grimaced.

"Not tasty?" Tarrion asked.

"No, not nearly as tasty as your blood."

"Oh? So I am tasty?"

Serana opened her mouth, but closed it and Tarrion saw her blush.

Tarrion still felt his arm hurt, but he could use it again, and after another few brawls with skeletons and a few gargoyles, the adrenaline had driven out the pain. Serana didn't say anything, but Tarrion saw that she still had a slight blush on her face. In an attempt to lighten the mood, Tarrion asked about the gargoyles.

"Did your mother ever keep gargoyles?"

Serana shook her head.

"Not that I ever saw. She had a bit of a thing for magical constructs. Not….. not what you're thinking. She just found them fascinating."

"What would I be thinking about then?"

"Well…." Serana began, but then changed her mind. "You know what?…I'm not going to answer that question."

After another few climbs and staircases they reached a large room, but there seemed no way out. A few wardrobes stood silently against the walls and a small hearth was made at the other end. They looked around for a door, but there was nothing.

"Look carefully." Serana said. "I don't think we've reached the top yet."

While Tarrion checked the wardrobes, Serana saw that one of the wall sconces was slightly tilted. She smiled and turned it around, and the hearth moved away to show a hidden staircase.

"Leave it to my mother. She was always more cleaver than I gave her credit for."

Tarrion grabbed a candelabrum and walked in front of Serana as they ascended another winding staircase. He wanted a bit of light to see where he was going, and now he could step over debris and not stumble every few feet.

At the end of the staircase they reached a large, steel door without a handle. In the centre of the door they saw the head of a Dragon, with its mouth wide open. They tried to open the door, but nothing happened and no matter how they pushed, the door did not budge.

"Wait…. I see what this is." Serana said.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry I should have known. This is a Blood Door. It will only open with blood."

"Anyone's blood, or is it specific for a certain person?" Tarrion asked.

"I'm not sure," Serana answered. "that depends on the one that put the door here. You can open it with blood from anyone or anything, but sometimes it can only be opened with blood from a specific person, or family."

Serana made a small wound in her hand and a few drops of her blood fell into the Dragon's mouth. It's eyes glowed bright red and the door opened. They stepped through and both of their mouths fell open in awe.

They entered a huge laboratory, and countless torches and candles that were still burning bathed the entire room in an orange light. There was a staircase that led to an elevated area and Tarrion saw bookshelves, filled with books and alchemy ingredients. Countless shelves with ingredients, soulgems, alchemy tools and vails were nailed to the walls and a few large tables were filled with even more ingredients, gems and potions. But in the middle of the room they saw something that neither of them had seen before. A large, stone circle, with the centre slightly lowered, surrounded by candles was made in the middle of the laboratory. The elevated area had a small balcony that overlooked the circle, and it almost looked like some sort of summoning circle.

"Wow, Serana. This is quite the laboratory your mother maintained here."

"I had no idea her 'laboratory' even existed." Serana said as she walked past Tarrion and looked around. "I mean, she had an alchemy set-up in her drawing room… but nothing that even comes close to this."

They walked to one of the larger tables and saw that it was filled with alchemy ingredients.

"Look at this, she must have spent years collecting these components."

She looked around again and it was clear she was looking for something that would answer her question.

"What have you been up to, mother?"

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Authors Notes=

So there is Chapter 2 of this arc. I do hope you like it, and the changes/additions that I made. I thought it would be fun

Explaining a few things:

 _ **The Blood Door:**_ I got this idea from the videogame 'Castlevania; Lords of Shadow 2' (really good game btw). There are a few doors that you can open, but only with your blood. I like the idea that Vampires would guard their stuff/hideouts that way, so I included that here as well. Please don't be mad.

 _ **Masser and Secunda:**_ These are apparently the two moons that orbit the world of Skyrim. If you pay attention in the game you can see the two moons sometimes, and I guess that the big one is Masser, and the smaller one is Secunda, but I have no clue if that is correct. I'm too lazy to look it up.

 _ **Serana's Powers:**_ I thought it would be fitting to give the Pure-blooded Vampires some more powers. Otherwise they would be just as powerful as a random half-breed Vampire. Serana, Valerica and Harkon are Pure-blooded Vampires and thus they are stronger than others.

 _ **That skeleton they killed twice:**_ This is from the mod "Immersive Creatures". These skeletons are 'restless', and can reassemble themselves after you killed them, forcing you to kill them again, and in very rare cases, even a third time.

 _ **Death Hounds:**_ The game states that their origins are unknown, but I thought that, since they are used as guardians by Vampires, they would come from the same source; Molag Bal. I don't know, call it freedom of expression

 **MASSIVE, HUGE, MEGA, BIG-*SS PS!**

Ok, this chapter took me longer than expected, but I have good reasons for that.

First off: I lost my 'Tarrion safe-file'. I accidently overwrote it when I started a new game. I used that safe-file mostly for dialogue and ideas for what I could include in the story. I would just play a part of the storyline, and take notes about the dialogue I have. I had to use the new game to get all the way to the story as it is now, and I still haven't reached it yet. For those that think: "Can't you just look it up on the internet?"; no I can't. I have a few mods installed for Serana that make her even more immersive. She is, bar none, the most immersive and detailed character in the game, but these mods amplify that even more. So I have to talk to her after every single objective for extra stuff. I actually like it.

Second reason: There are a few personal matters that happened, or will happen, and I have to deal with them. I won't go into details (that's why they're personal), but they will have quite the impact on… well, practically everything. I don't know what I am going to do, but I first need to do that.

With that reason in mind I think I have to take a break from this Fan-Fiction. I do hope that the two people reading my story don't mind, but I need to figure stuff out. I hate to do this in the middle of the arc, but I have no choice. The next update on how things stand, will come with the next chapter.

PPS: For those that want to know; these are the mods that I use for Serana (my entire mod-list is 150+ mods long) : (all from )

Seranaholic (Version 1.2): skyrim/mods/38326/? ... I currently have an issue with it so I use a different one now, namely

BVFE (Better Vampire Fangs and Eyes) Serana and Family: skyrim/mods/39549/? … Still a good mod, but I like the Seranaholic face a bit better.

Serana Hair Physics: skyrim/mods/65547/? ….To retain the normal hair, no matter the other mods, and now with physics.

Marriable Serana: skyrim/mods/28685/? …You can now marry her! Whoohooo.

Serana Dialogue Edit: skyrim/mods/52283/? ….This mod adds a ton of extra, fully voiced (original voice), lines that make her even more immersive. I really like this mod. Highly recommended, even for low-end PCs. It only ads dialogue, nothing heavy.

BIG PPPS: I am Dutch (from the Netherlands) so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please let me know.


	10. Beyond Death 3

Beyond Death part 3

The only light that came from outside the laboratory came through only two small windows, but the night was dark and the clouds blocked the pale light of the moon. Tarrion searched on of the bookshelves while Serana kept looking at the stone circle in the centre of the room. A deafening silence had filled the hall and Tarrion knew that Serana held a lot of conflicting emotions boiled up inside, and in an effort to release some of them he asked her.

"Were you close with your mother?"

Serana looked like she only heard it half.

"Hmm?"

"Were you close with your mother?" Tarrion asked again. "You seem to have some good memories about her."

Serana sighed.

"Well… yes. I was. I would never hesitate to share anything with her. She taught me a lot, about almost everything. I used to help her tend the garden."

Serana smiled, like she remembered how it once was.

"We would spend hours there. She taught me quite a bit about cultivating reagents for alchemy. But…."

"But then it all changed." and Serana nodded.

"Yes…. They both did. I would try to help her in the garden, but she would quickly shoo me away, saying she was much too busy. And it all ended with me being locked underground for who knows how long."

Tarrion walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you alright?"

"I… I think so. But let us focus on what's in front of us. We need to find out where she went."

"Very well, so how do we do that."

Serana looked around again, from the shelves to the tables, to the stone circle in the centre of the room.

"That circle is obviously… something. I don't know what it is, but it looks like she wat trying to advance her necromancy, but I don't know to what end. But I am pretty sure she would have a journal somewhere. We need to find that."

And so Tarrion and Serana searched every end and nook of the laboratory. After a while, when Tarrion looked through a small dresser on the elevated part of the laboratory, he opened a drawer and found an old, brown journal with yellowed pages. He opened it and read some of its contents.

 _27_ _th_ _Last Seed_

 _Harkon's shortsightedness is becoming a serious problem. I've warned him time and time again that his foolish prophecy would cast far too much light on our people and yet he refuses to so much listen to a word I say. I've become less a wife and more of an annoyance in his eyes. Devoting attention to my work is the only solace I can find while enduring his ridiculous crusade._

 _28_ _th_ _Last Seed_

 _I've had a breakthrough today. I was able to attune the portal vessel to the Soul Cairn properly by using a small sample of ingredients. Although the portal opened only for a few seconds, I'm confident that with the proper formula, it can be sustained indefinitely. I feel like I'm missing a key ingredient, something of sufficient potency that can resist the forces trying to prevent my intrusion. Communing with the Ideal Masters has proved worthless. They speak in riddles and offer no assistance whether I ensure them a steady supply of souls or not. If I'm to escape Harkon's clutches, I need to keep the portal open long enough to carry me away from here… forever if need be._

"Serana! I found it."

Serana came rushing from the other end of the room.

"You found it! What does it say?"

Tarrion looked through the pages again.

"There are a few lines about your father, but it boils down to the fact that she doesn't trust him. But then it changes and she speaks of something called the 'Soul Cairn'. She then says something about contacting something in this 'Soul Cairn'."

Serana walked around in circles and played with her hair.

"The Soul Cairn? Why would she…?"

"You know this place? What is it?"

"I only know of what she told me. She had a theory about soul gems. That the souls inside them do not simply vanish when used, but end up in the Soul Cairn. The Soul Cairn is a tiny sliver of Oblivion, the realm of the Daedra. Supposedly it is home to extremely powerful beings known as the 'Ideal Masters'. Necromancers send them souls, and receive power to summon the undead."

"Your mother explains something here about entering the Soul Cairn."

Serana looked up with surprise.

"Really? Let me take a look." and she grabbed the journal from Tarrion's hands.

Tarrion saw Serana's eyes flash over the pages and she turned around and walked up to the balcony overlooking the stone circle.

"I think this circle must be some kind of portal. We need to find the right ingredients to activate it."

"So what do we need?"

Serana turned a few pages around.

"Hmm… a handful of soulgem shards… some finely-ground bonemeal… a good bit of purified voidsalts… and… ach, dammit."

"What is it?"

"We are also going to need a sample of her blood. And if we could get that, we wouldn't even be trying to do this in the first place."

Tarrion thought a moment.

"Maybe not…"

"What do you mean?" Serana asked.

"You are her daughter, right? You share her blood."

Serana looked at Tarrion and she smiled.

"Not bad. That is some excellent thinking. I think that could indeed work. Let's hope it works, mistakes with these type of portals can be… gruesome."

"So, all the other ingredients are here?"

"Yes, definitely. She would keep enough of all these ingredients, in case the first attempt would fail. We just need to find them."

And so they went from searching for a journal, to searching for ingredients. But since they already went through the laboratory, they had no difficulty finding them, and a few moments later they met on the small balcony overlooking the stone circle. A small, silver vessel stood on the edge of the balcony and Serana poured all the ingredients in the silver bowl.

"So, then the rest is up to me. Are you ready?... I'm not entirely sure what this is going to do once I add my blood."

"Can I ask you a question first?"

Serana pulled her wrist away from the bowl, and it looked like she was almost relieved that Tarrion made her wait.

"Of course, what is it?"

"Well… you seem conflicted about your mother. Do you know what you will do when we meet her?"

Serana sighed.

"I've been asking myself the same thing ever since we came back to the castle. I… I don't know. It's just…. She was so sure about what we did against my father, and I couldn't help but go along with her. But it was never my idea to be locked underground, but she wanted to get me as far away from my father before he really went over the edge."

Tarrion could hear a tone of frustration in her voice. When she said it wasn't her idea to be locked away, he could even hear some anger, but only for a moment.

"It sounds like, despite everything, she still cared for you the most, and wanted to keep you safe."

"…Maybe…. I guess even a Vampire mother is still a mother. I suppose she worried about me."

"We won't know until we find her."

"Yes.. you're right. I'm sorry, I just never expected anyone to care how I felt about her."

"Well, I do care." Tarrion said, and he meant it from the bottom of his heart.

"Thank you…. Are we ready then?" and Tarrion nodded.

"Alright. Here goes nothing."

Serana made a slight cut in her arm and a few drops of blood fell into the bowl, along with the ingredients.

As soon as the first drop touched the other ingredients, the entire room started to shake. The circle began to crack and pale, blue light began to shine from underneath it. The circle cracked more and suddenly it broke completely, leaving a large hole from which now pale light shone, lighting up the entire room. The broken pieces hovered around and all took place next to each other or above another. Within a few seconds a strange, broken staircase was made that connected the portal with the balcony where Tarrion and Serana stood. It looked like blue flames came from the portal, but Tarrion could not feel any heat and the pale light was ever changing.

"By the blood of my ancestors." Serana said in awe. "She did it! She actually made a portal to the Soul Cairn. Incredible!"

Serana was still in awe of the portal, and Tarrion walked down the staircase and reached the portal. Immediately he felt all his muscles contract and his skin started to char. The blue flames licked around his legs, and although they did not burn him, he felt pain course through his limbs. He stumbled back and reached the balcony and fell against the stone wall, surrounding it. Serana had a terrified look in her eyes and dropped to her knees next to him.

"Are you alright? That looked painful."

"Ach!... it was…. What happened?"

"Actually… I should have expected that…. I'm sorry. The Soul Cairn is… well… 'hungry', in lack for a better word. It's trying to take your life essence as payment."

Tarrion looked from Serana to the blue flames that now looked threatening.

"So… I can't go in."

"Well…. There is a way, but I don't think you're going to like it. Vampires are, technically, not counted among the living. I could probably go through without a problem."

"So, I have to become a Vampire to go through?"

"Not your first choice I guess?"

Tarrion slowly shook his head. He knew that Vampires were not necessarily evil, but had no intention of becoming one.

"I'm sorry but, no. Is there no other way?"

Serana seemed to think for a few moments, while Tarrion rubbed his legs. The feeling of his soul being sucked from his body was a terrifying feeling, and he would not step anywhere near that portal.

"There might be another way." Serana said. "Might be. The Soul Cairn wants a soul, so we give it one… yours."

"What?... That would kill me!"

"Maybe not…. My mother taught me a few tricks. I could partially Soultrap you, and offer that gem to the Ideal Masters, and hope that is enough to satisfy them. I think it will… I mean…. You are Dragonborn, so the soul of a Dragon is not something to scorn away."

Tarrion sighed and stood up.

"Those are my only options?"

"I'm afraid they are…. Just… remember that, no matter what you choose, I won't think any less of you. Sometimes things just have to be done…. I know that better than anybody."

"Then Soultrap me." Tarrion said. "I mean no offence, but…. It's not you, but I don't think I would feel right as a Vampire."

"Are you sure? I'm willing to do it, but you need to think it through. You'll remain mortal, but you will be weakened while in the Soul Cairn."

Tarrion nodded.

"I'm sure."

"I… I hope you trust me. I would never do anything to hurt you."

"I do. I trust you completely."

Serana gave a him a warm smile.

"Thank you…. Then hold still."

Serana charged a small orb of dark light in her hand. She took a long breath and looked at Tarrion, and he nodded. She then threw the orb at him and Tarrion felt a surge go through him. A strange, surreal feeling went through him, from his head to his heart, and then out of him. Serana had grabbed a black soulgem from one of the shelves and Tarrion could see dark light being sucked from his body and being drawn into the gem. The gem glowed slightly, and then a small, purple light started to pulsate from the centre of the gem, like a small heartbeat.

"Are… are you alright?"

Tarrion felt woozy. He tried to walk, and that seemed to go normally, but he still felt weakened. Serana walked up to the portal and held the gem up. As soon as the first of the blue flames touched her leg, the black soul gem flew out of her hand and disappeared in the portal. Tarrion walked carefully toward the portal and the blue flames licked his legs, but the pain did not follow.

"The bargain is accepted." Serana said and Tarrion followed her into the portal, and they entered the Soul Cairn.

They entered a world that made both Tarrion and Serana feel uneasy. They walked down more stairs and the portal above them did not close. Tarrion looked around and saw nothing but death and decay. Strange ruins made of black stone were scattered throughout the plains over which they looked. Here and there they saw strange trees, that neither of them had ever seen before, and it looked like they were dead. Tarrion saw wandering spectres walking everywhere, but they seemed to ignore them. Tarrion also saw strange creatures, made of rotting, black flesh and black bones wandering around. They did notice the two that just entered their realm, but kept their distance. The sky was strange. There were no clouds but lightning struck occasionally, and it almost looked like a massive, black hole was were the sun should be. They could see no stars, and yet it was not dark, for a slight, purple light covered all.

The two of them did not stay to admire the view but followed a path that led them past many broken buildings, and countless spectres that were wandering around.

"This place is…"

Tarrion could not find the words that would express what he felt.

"I know." Serana said. "I feel bad for those that end up here."

"Does anything even live here?"

Serana uttered a sarcastic laugh.

"Look at this place, do you think anything would 'want' to live here? The only things that live here are the undead, the souls themselves and the Ideal Masters…. Well, if you want to call that 'living'."

"Do you think we will meet the Ideal Masters?"

"I don't think anyone has ever 'met' them. They could be underground, flying above us. They might be the ground, I have no idea."

"Do you know why the harvest these souls?" Tarrion asked when a spectre walked past him while mumbling to himself.

"There are lots of theories. Some say they feed on them, like I feed on blood. Others say that they used them as currency to an even higher power… a very strange currency. But, whatever they are doing with them, they have been harvesting for millennia. There is no telling how many souls are here."

They continued to follow the path, when another soul suddenly tried to grab Tarrion. Her hands went right through him and she was clearly shouting something at him, but he heard nothing and could only see her vague mouth open and close. The spectre disappeared as soon as Tarrion made a move and went up in smoke.

"This place is freaking me out. Why did your mother even come here?"

Serana sighed.

"Probably out of fear. To avoid whatever my father would do to her if he could get his hands on her."

"He would really kill her? His own wife?"

Serana nodded.

"Ever since we gave ourselves to Molag Bal, things got really icy between them. They were both drunk with power, and I think they would both do anything to see the other fall."

"And you were caught in the middle."

"I was…. It…. It took me a long time to find out my mother was just as obsessed as my father. I don't know… maybe I could have seen this coming."

"It was not your responsibility." Tarrion said. "You cannot blame yourself for their actions."

"I know that I my heart, but… I can't help but feel…."

Tarrion did not let her finish and grabbed her hand, and he saw it as a good sign that she didn't pull her hand away.

In the distance they saw a large castle on a hill. They followed the path to it and saw the remains of a ruined tower lying in front of the main staircase that led to the main gate. As soon as they walked up the steps they saw a figure standing against one of the pillars that was built on either side of the gate. Serana jumped up and walked faster.

"Mother? Mother!"

The figure looked up and, even from a distance Tarrion could see an expression of pure shock on her face.

"Maker, it can't be… Serana?"

Valerica was, just like Serana, clad in black clothes with a cloak. She was only slightly taller than her daughter and her hair was only slightly lighter. It was partly tied up in a small bun behind her head, and partly it hung on the side of her head. Her eyes were glowing red and when she spoke, Tarrion could see the white fangs. Despite that she was older than Serana, she looked like she was still fairly young and she had a handsome face, but Tarrion assumed this was on account of her being a Vampire.

"Mother, is it really you? I can't believe it!"

Serana's voice was a combination of shock, relief and surprise. She ran toward Valerica but walked into an invisible barrier. Valerica stood a few feet from where Serana was stopped and looked with disbelief at her daughter.

"Serana, what are you doing here? Where is your father?"

"He doesn't know we're here." Serana said. "But how do we get inside, we have to talk."

Valerica seemed to ignore her and a look of desperation came in her eyes.

"I must have failed. Harkon has deciphered a way to complete the Prophecy, hasn't he?"

"No…. no you don't understand." Serana tried to explain. "We're here to stop him, to make everything right."

Valerica again ignored her and now noticed Tarrion. Her look changed from shock, to anger.

"Wait a minute…. You brought a stranger here? Have you lost your mind!?"

"No, no… you don't…"

But Valerica raised her hand to stop Serana and she walked toward Tarrion.

"You there! Tell me how it has come to pass that a Vampire Hunter is in the company of MY daughter? You travel under the guise of her protector, in an effort to hunt me down?"

"No! Not at all." Tarrion defended himself. "She is right, we are her to stop Harkon."

"Ha! Coming from someone who murders Vampires for a trade, I find it hard to believe you!"

"I pulled her out of that tomb to save her from your plan."

"My plan?" Valerica almost shouted. "Do you really think that I would lock my own daughter away for my own sake? Or only to protect an Elder Scroll? The Scrolls merely describe what can come to pass. The key to the Tyranny of the Sun, is Serana herself."

Tarrion felt himself calm down, but only for his anger to make place for fear.

"What do you mean?"

"Like myself, Serana was human once. When we were selected as offerings to Molag Bal, when we were turned into Vampires, we became something that others can only guess. We became Pure-blooded Vampires. The Scrolls tell that ' _The Blood of Coldharbour's Daughter can blind the Eye of the Dragon._ ' If a woman becomes a Pure-blooded Vampire by Molag Bal, she becomes a Daughter of Coldharbour. Harkon only needs Serana's blood, to complete the Prophecy. That is why I sealed her away! That is why I hid away! To prevent the Prophecy from ever happening."

Tarrion was blown away by this news. He thought that Serana would just be, what Harkon would see as, 'collateral damage'. But now he realized that Serana was at the centre of the Prophecy. They key to it.

He looked at Serana, and her eyes were wide open in shock. She looked at him with more fear in her eyes than ever, and Tarrion remembered something important.

"And what was Serana's choice in this?"

"What?" Valerica asked. She did not expect this question, but she pulled herself together very fast. "You care nothing for Serana, or our struggle, our plight."

But Tarrion would hear none of it.

"I don't care if you believe me, but I trust Serana… and she trusts me."

Valerica looked from him to Serana, and she was clearly shocked.

"Serana? This stranger has murdered others like us, aligns himself with those that would hunt you down, and yet I should entrust you to him?"

Serana's face became combination of disbelief and anger.

"This stranger?... This stranger has done more for me, in the brief time I've known him than you have done in centuries! He has already saved my life twice!"

"How dare you!" Valerica burst out. "I gave up everything I care about, to protect you from that fanatic you call a 'father'!"

Tarrion could see that Serana got angrier with every word her mother said, and he could see tears in her eyes.

"Yes! I know he is a fanatic! I know he has… changed, but he is still my father! Why can't you understand how that makes me feel?"

Valerica sighed.

"Oh, Serana. If you would only open your eyes…."

"NO! YOU OPEN YOUR EYES!"

Serana screamed it out and tears rolled over her pale face and her eyes were glowing brighter than ever.

"YOU decided to shut ME away from everything 'I' cared about! YOU never asked ME if hiding me in that cave was the best course of action. You just expected me to follow you blindly, and you never considered what I wanted! Your motivations might have been different from father's, but in the end… I was just as much a pawn to you too. Don't think for a second, that I will trust you over him! The last I saw of you was a woman that sealed me away FOR FIFTEEN HUNDRED YEARS! YOU!…"

Serana could not take it anymore and she turned around and ran off the stairs and disappeared behind the broken tower. Tarrion remained behind with only the barrier separating him and Valerica. He looked at her and he saw a different type of shock on her face. Like she finally realized what she had done. Tarrion turned around as well and wanted to follow Serana.

"Wait… I…" he heard Valerica say, but he did not turn around.

"No." He said. "She has said everything that had to be said."

Behind the tower he found Serana, sitting against the remains of the tower and her eyes were red with tears. She had her legs pulled up and rested her head on her knees. Tarrion said nothing and just sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. She then fell around his neck and she cried. Tarrion could feel her entire body shake with grief and he felt her tears drip down on his neck. He embraced her and held her tightly, and he felt that he should have done that a long time ago. He gently caressed her back and kissed her black hair.

They sat there for a long time, and slowly Serana calmed but she still did not let go of him, but only tightened her grip.

"This is not how I imagined how things would happen."

Serana still sobbed a bit, but Tarrion could hear that she was calming herself.

"I know…." He said and he pressed his head against hers.

"I'm sorry… I…." but Tarrion stopped her.

"Don't… don't say that you shouldn't cry, because you have every reason to. I should be the one to apologize."

"Why?"

Tarrion sighed.

"I should have realized how you felt. I should have been there for you more. I… I'm sorry that you had to carry this on your own."

"Don't be." Serana said and she kissed his neck. "I…. I'm just glad you're here with me now."

And for the first time in his life, Tarrion felt like he was where he belonged.

"Then here I will stay. I will not abandon you."

He let go of Serana and looked her in her beautiful, glowing eyes. He gently wiped a tear of her cheek and cupped her face.

"Your father abandoned you, and so did your mother. But I promise you this; I will not abandon you."

And Serana's face changed, and she smiled at him, her eyes wet with tears of joy, and hugged him.

"But we should try and find a way to get your mother to help us."

"Yes… you're right."

Serana let him go, and Tarrion could see a deep happiness in her eyes. But when they stood up, she seemed hesitant. Tarrion could see that she felt conflicted about confronting her mother again, and he offered to talk to her alone, which she accepted. And so Tarrion walked up the stairs alone to talk to Valerica, while Serana stayed behind the broken tower.

"What happened to…." Valerica started, but Tarrion raised his hand.

"What happened is not your concern. I do not care if you trust me or not, I only want to know if you want to help us stop Harkon. Do you have one of the Elder Scrolls?"

He was blunt, and felt no need to ask nicely, and it was clear that Valerica was thrown off by this. But Tarrion knew it was because of what Serana had said. She nodded.

"Good. How do we get through this barrier?"

"It was put here by the Ideal Masters, when they found out they couldn't have my soul. They sent their Keepers to kill me, but when I took shelter here, they raised the barrier and prevented me from leaving. If you kill these three Keepers, the barrier dies with them."

"Where can we find them?"

Valerica pointed at something behind Tarrion, and he turned around.

"Do you see those towers? The three highest of them collect energy to fuel the barrier. At their bases you will find the Keepers."

"Then we will return when they are dead."

"Wait.. one more word of warning. The Ideal Masters have sent a Dragon named Durnehviir to keep watch, and he will definitely come if you are perceived as a threat. So… tread carefully….. and keep my daughter safe."

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Authors Notes=

So, another chapter complete. I know this takes like…. Fifteen minutes in-game, and I squeezed into an entire chapter, but oh well. I know it is a ton of exposition, but I do feel like it is needed here. I am a bit of a sucker for detail and descriptions of the environment and the world that the characters travel, so yea, I do that here as well. I do hope you like it.

I know I said that I had to take a break and I needed to figure some personal matters out. I did, and thank goodness the effects won't happen until another few weeks. Until that time, I still have school stuff to do, but since I am in the middle of a project week, I don't have homework, so I got that going form me, which is nice. The new Safe-file is not nearly at the point where the story is, because i still have a ton of other quests to do.

I got a few messages from two or three people that had questions about the romance between Tarrion and Serana, and why it still hasn't come to the point when the two of them just grab each other and start making out. While a tender moment happened here, I will still address the issue and I have these reasons for that:

1: I am someone that takes his time with romances. I think it needs time, for it to develop, and for it to actually make sense. Have you ever met a guy/girl and within a week you would walk through fire for her/him? I doubt it. It is so that Tarrion and Serana met not a week ago, so it does go decently fast for my taste. The main reason is that I don't want to do it too soon, but most of all want to do it right. And that takes time.

2: If you have played the game, you know of Serana's background and her difficult childhood. Therefore I made it difficult for her to enter any emotional relationship, with anybody. Tarrion knows this and is also hesitant, mostly because he does not want to presume, or put Serana in a compromising position or make her feel uncomfortable. Despite this, they both care for each other, more than either of them will admit, and their hearts say 'Yes', but their heads say 'No'.

Also concerning the kiss in Arc 2, Chapter 3:

Especially Serana tries to forget it, because she wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. For her it was a moment, and she felt strange afterwards. Tarrion also thinks of it as a moment that Serana now regrets, and he thinks that she didn't mean it. I know I should have explained it better, and more from Serana's point of view, so I am sorry for that.

But the real start of the romance is getting there. Just be patient.

Dragon Language Used:

 _None used_

Big PPS: I am Dutch (from the Netherlands), so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please let me know.


	11. Beyond Death 4

Beyond Death part 4

Serana and Tarrion left the fortress behind them and descended the hill. Serana walked close by Tarrion, and their hands would touch often. Tarrion saw that Serana had a conflicted expression on her face. She looked troubled and even grieved, but behind that he saw a smile and a relieved look in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"I… I'm not sure." Serana answered. "Maybe. All those things I said…. They have been building up for a while. I didn't know what to say at first, but…"

She sighed.

"I think I am relieved. I think she now finally understands what I had to go through, and what I felt. Even if she still feels the same, I know that I could at least speak my mind. One the one hand I know that she tried to protect my, but I don't think she thought of the costs."

With the ashy dust around their feet they walked down the hill and toward the nearest of the three towers. The closer they came to the towers, the more souls they came across. They could also the strange, undead creatures look at them with bright, glowing eyes.

"They haven't attacked us yet, but I have a feeling that will change." Serana said.

"Yes. I think they want to know if we try anything. As long as we don't do anything that might upset them, I think they will leave us be."

"Hmm… then I suggest you draw your sword." Serana remarked. "We are about to kill those Keepers, and I don't think they are going to like it. And you are still weakened, so… stay close to me."

"I will." Tarrion smiled.

They reached one of the towers, and they saw a large figure with a massive battle-axe. He was clad in armour, made of bones, and his head and hands looked like they were made of black flames. His blue eyes shone through the flames, and he looked at them with a threatening gaze.

 _Hi fent ni rahn_

 _Valerica sil engein wah mii!_

"What did he say?" Serana asked, but Tarrion could not answer because the figure charged at them.

Tarrion could not find the strength to put up a real fight, but Serana did. She ducked under the incoming axe and sliced through the armour that covered one of the legs. The Keeper shouted something and turned around and raised his axe to crush Serana, but then Tarrion leaped forward and drove his sword through its back, and it came out the other side. The Keeper roared and crumbled to dust, and Tarrion saw how the tower it guarded crumbled as well.

"Two to go." Tarrion panted.

"Yes. Are you alright?"

"I am…. I think I am."

Tarrion had to force himself to stay up. He felt the fatigue of being in the Soul Cairn with a weakened soul.

"Let's just keep going and finish up here as fast as possible."

The two of them now continued to the next tower. The undead creatures that previously just watched the, now followed them, yet still from a distance. Tarrion and Serana could hear them growl and cry with undead voices.

When they reached the second tower, they found another one of the Keepers. He was also clad in bone-armour, with his hands and head made of black flames and he had a large sword in the one hand, and a thick shield in the other.

 _Hi fen ni ahkron!_

 _Hi nis lif daar staad!_

Serana fired several Ice-spikes at the Keeper, but he blocked all of them and his shield was now impaled with ice. Tarrion charged forward, ducked under the sword, and grabbed the shield. With a huge surge of energy he lifted the Keeper up and threw him against the tower. Serana then jumped forward and drove her dagger in the Keeper's face, and with a loud cry he crumbled to dust. Tarrion heard a loud roar behind him and he turned around, only to see one of the creatures, who had two heads and a large mace in his hands, charge at him.

Tarrion took a deep breath and braced himself.

YOL TOOR SHUL

An inferno escaped from his mouth and the creature was incinerated to ash. Tarrion fell to his knees and grabbed his throat. The Shout had rented his throat and he couched blood.

"Are you alright?"

Serana came rushing and grabbed him by his shoulder.

"Tarrion, talk to me! Are you alright?"

Tarrion nodded.

"Yes…. Yes, I'm fine. I… just feel weak. But we have to go. The sooner we resolve this, the better."

Under Serana's protests he lifted himself up and continued. The other creatures that were still watching them kept at bay, but still followed them.

They continued, ignoring the creatures, and headed for the final tower. But when they reached it, they could not find the final Keeper. A few lost souls wandered around, but the large, bone-clad Keeper was nowhere to be found.

"Where is he?" Tarrion asked.

Serana looked around to see if she could find any sign of the Keeper, but she saw nothing. She was about to turn around, when a suddenly a spectre appeared before her. It looked like it was the soul of a little girl, and she looked at Serana, with her head slightly tilted. Serana looked at her, and she felt bad for her.

'A little girl does not belong in a place like this' she thought, but the spectre beckoned her to follow and she walked to the tower. Serana followed her and saw that she entered a small corridor, and up a staircase.

"Tarrion, this way."

Tarrion followed her, although Serana could see that he did not trust it.

"Where is she leading us? How do we know this isn't some trap?"

"I.. I don't know." Serana answered. "But I have a feeling it isn't."

"How do you know?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't think they are on the side of the Keepers. They are imprisoned here as well."

Tarrion still held his sword in his hand and would be ready for a trap. But the spectre of the little girl led them up more stairs, until they reached the top of the tower. There, clad in bone-armour just like the others, stood the third and final Keeper, looking out over the dead plains. He had a large bow in his hand, but he did not attack them. He simply turned around and looked at them, sizing his two opponents up. And then he laughed, or that is what Tarrion thought he did, because it did not sound like a laugh, but it was clear that the Keeper seemed amused.

 _ZU'U FEN…._

FUS RO DAH

Tarrion was not in the mood for another threat and shouted the Keeper off the tower. With a loud cry the Keeper disappeared over the edge, and not a moment later they heard a deep rumble. The tower creaked and cracked.

"Run!"

The two of them ran down the stairs as fast as they could, and were able to escape the tower just in time.

"That was… the last one." Tarrion panted, but Serana looked at the strange creatures that now looked at them.

"I think we have a problem."

But the creatures did not attack, but instead they retreated to the shadows of the ruines.

"What? Why are they…."

"No matter." Tarrion interrupted her. "I'm sorry, but his place is wearing me down more and more. Let's get back to the prison and get the Scroll."

They returned to the large fortress on the hill. Still Serana could see how the creatures still followed them, and yet also seemed afraid. None of them wanted to get too close and every time Serana looked around, they seemed to recoil and retreat. But she couldn't spend any attention to them, because next to her, Tarrion was severely weakened and he panted incessantly. No matter how much Serana tried to help him, he kept saying it was nothing.

"I'm alright…. Just….. tired." he panted.

"No! you're not alright." Serana kept saying. "You're here with only half a soul! You must rest."

"No…. that will only make it worse…. We need to finish this first…."

When they reached Valerica back at the prison, she was more than impressed.

"You managed to destroy all three Keepers? That is… impressive."

Serana refused to look at her mother, and tried to support Tarrion.

"You are stronger than I anticipated… but I see that you are also weakened."

"Yes… I had to surrender…. a piece of my soul to enter this place. Can I ….. I can't hold out much longer…"

Valerica looked from Tarrion to Serana, and then pointed at some nearby ruins.

"I see that my daughter has applied some of my lessons, but I think I can help. There is an offering altar nearby. I think you will find your soulgem there."

Without a word, Tarrion turned around an walked toward a few small ruins. Serana did not try to stop him, because she knew it wouldn't help.

They reached the small ruins and Serana saw a large altar with a few black soulgems hovering over it. A large, shining crystal hovered a few meters above the altar, and Tarrion stood up.

"You have stolen me…. and I'm here to take myself back."

He stumbled toward the altar and without hesitation he grabbed the black soulgem that hovered in the middle.

As soon as he touched the gem, he felt a massive energy surge go through him. He saw the dark light escaping the gem and entering his body, and he felt his entire body contract. He stood there for a few seconds, not being able to move, but then the surge stopped, and the soulgem crumbled to dust.

"Ahhhh."

"Tarrion! Everything alright?"

Serana came rushing and grabbed his face, and Tarrion smiled.

"Yes. I'm alright now." Tarrion said as he grabbed her hands and Serana could see that he did not lie.

They returned to Valerica.

"Thank you for that." Tarrion said. "Now… the barrier is down. Can you give us the Elder Scroll?"

"Yes, I've hidden it here, inside the fortress. Follow me."

The two of them followed Valerica as she led them through a few dark corridors and into a massive courtyard, surrounded by black walls and dark towers. Valerica walked ahead, while Serana and Tarrion walked a bit behind her.

"I can't believe we actually found my mother alive." Serana whispered. "Or… as alive as she was before."

A deafening roar echoed through the courtyard, and Tarrion saw dust fall of the walls. He looked up and saw a Dragon. If this was the first time he saw one, he would be terrified, but since he had killed more Dragons than he could count, he was not afraid and simply sighed and grabbed his sword.

"It's Durnehviir!" Valerica shouted. "He has come!"

Serana seemed to be in a slight panic, because she did not know what to do.

"How do we bring him down?" she shouted. "Tarrion! You know how to do this!"

Tarrion looked up and saw Durnehviir flying straight at him, and he saw that he looked different than any other Dragon he had ever seen.

Durnehviir had a green skin, and it looked like his flesh was rotting away. His eyes seemed black, in his mouth Tarrion saw black teeth. It looked like Durnehviir's skin was peeling off and the two horns that came out the back of his head were not covered with scales, but laid bare and the bones glistened.

DIIL QOTH ZAAM

The old Dragon Shouted and the ground shook and cracked and out of the holes, black skeletons appeared.

"You take care of them!" Tarrion shouted at Serana and Valerica. "I'll deal with him."

Tarrion braced himself and gathered his strength. With the return of his soul he felt strong again and he Shouted Durnehviir out of the skies.

JOOR ZAH FRUL

The Shout reached the Dragon and struck him like lightning. Durnehviir was forced to the ground and Tarrion ran toward his undead foe. As soon as Durnehviir tried to get up he opened his mouth to Shout again, but Tarrion was quicker and staggered him.

FUS RO DAH

Serana fought beside her mother and held off the onrushing skeletal horde. She had grabbed her dagger again and was a whirlwind ice and blade. She tore her foes apart, bone from bone, and slowed others down with Ice-Storms. Valerica had cloaked herself in ice and fired many spells at her attackers.

"Serana! Behind you!"

Serana turned around, ducked under a sword and severed the arm that held it. She still refused to talk, or so much as look at her mother, and she rushed to Tarrion after she severed the head of a skeleton.

Tarrion now fought with Durnehviir and landed many strikes until black blood gushed from the Dragon's head. With a final roar, Durnehviir bit at his opponent, but Tarrion dodged it and drove his sword to the hilt in Durnehviir's throat. The Dragon roared in pain and when Tarrion removed his sword, black blood gushed out of the wound, and Durnehviir collapsed on the ground.

But his soul was not absorbed by Tarrion, and instead his body burned to nothing with purple flames and disappeared.

"Strange…" Tarrion mumbled to himself.

Serana came running and looked at the place where the Dragon disappeared, and then to Tarrion.

"Unbelievable…. You just killed a Dragon on your own…"

"He was not the first, and I don't think he will be the last."

"Astonishing." a voice said and Valerica joined them. "I never thought I'd witness the death of that Dragon."

"Why do you say that?"

"Volumes written on Durnehviir say that he cannot be slain by normal means…. Unless….. you haven't killed him, but simply forced him to regain his strength somewhere else."

"Then I think we should hurry."

"Yes, agreed." and Valerica walked to the edge of the main courtyard.

"Why do you think that you didn't kill him?" Serana asked.

"Because as Dragonborn I can absorb the life-force and soul of any Dragon that I kill, but that did not happen here."

"You absorb their soul?"

"Yes," Tarrion nodded. "I'll explain another time."

They followed Valerica to a small alcove. There they saw a few tables filled with strange ingredients and a few vials. Valerica walked to a pillar, pressed a small stone, and the pillar opened revealing a large locked box. Valerica opened the box with as small key and pulled out the Elder Scroll. She wrapped it in black cloth, and gave it to Tarrion.

"Now that you have the Elder Scroll, you should make haste. I don't know how things are back in Tamriel, but I have a feeling that Harkon would look everywhere for you two… but… if you… or Serana… has any questions, feel free to ask."

"You will not come with us?" Tarrion asked.

"I'm afraid I cannot. I am also a Daughter of Coldharbour, and if I would return to the castle, the change that Harkon would complete the prophecy would only increase. But there is no need to feel concern for me. I already expected an eternal exile."

Tarrion had no other questions, but he felt that Valerica meant this for Serana, hoping for something. But Serana looked like she wanted to leave as soon as possible and simply shook her head and turned around. Tarrion nodded at Valerica and followed Serana, leaving Valerica alone. When they were out of earshot of her mother, Tarrion looked at Serana.

"Are you sure you want to leave? Maybe we…."

"No." Serana cut him off. "Let's just leave…. Please."

Tarrion saw that Serana still felt conflicted, but he also knew that forcing her would only make matters worse, and he asked no further. But before they reached the main gate, they heard something behind them.

When the two of them turned around they saw a flash of black and Valerica hugged Serana.

"Get off…"

"I'm sorry!"

Valerica did not let go of her daughter and Serana seemed to be taken by surprise and stopped fighting.

"I am sorry, Serana." Valerica said. "You were right, I was wrong. I should have taken your will into consideration, and I was wrong to treat you the way I did. I… I've allowed my hatred for your father to estrange us for too long…. Please… forgive me."

Serana had a look of terror on her face, and she looked at Tarrion, not knowing what to do. Tarrion also did not expect this and stood there and shrugged in surprise.

After a few seconds Serana pushed her mother away, but she did not smile.

"I…I…" she stuttered and she sighed.

"Mother, I cannot forgive you… not yet. Not now."

"I.. I understand."

Tarrion wished he would be able to leave and give the two of them some time on their own, but Serana didn't want to wait any longer. She turned around and opened the gate, and Tarrion followed her. Valerica stayed behind in the shadow and, unless Tarrion was mistaken he saw a small tear glistening before he shut the gate behind him.

The two of them descended the hill and continued to follow the path that would lead to the portal to return to the castle. Serana did not say anything but walked sternly past the ruins. She did not know how to feel. She still felt the anger toward her mother. What she had done, could not be undone or forgotten. But there was a slight feeling of relief inside her. A feeling that she couldn't silence. She knew that her mother was trying to make amends, and that meant a lot. She walked on without saying a word, and she didn't notice that Tarrion drew his sword.

"Serana!"

Serana looked up and she could hear the sound of massive wings. A roar echoed over the plains, and they could see Durnehviir approaching. But he did not attack, and landed on a few ruins next to the path that the two travelled.

"Stay your weapons! I would speak with you, Qahnaarin."

Tarrion did not sheath his weapon, but did not attack either, and he looked at the old, undead Dragon that now slammed his tail on the ruins behind him.

"I thought we killed you." Serana said.

"Hmmm, I am cursed, not dead, _kiir do vulon_. But my claws have rend the flesh of countless of the _joor_ , and never have I been defeated. Until now."

Tarrion did not take his eyes of Durnehviir, and still held his sword firmly in his hand.

"Why are we speaking?"

"Hmm, I want to honour a fellow _kendov._ You are the only one who has ever brought upon me my… demise. I therefore honour-name you; Qahnaarin. 'Vanquisher' in your tongue."

"I thank you for that," Tarrion answered and he sheathed his weapon, now that he saw that Durnehviir was not here for revenge. "but something tells me that is not the only reason why you are here, Old one."

Durnehviir bared his teeth in a smile, and even chuckled.

"Hmm, _krosis._ I have forgotten that the _hadrimme_ of mortals are just as fast as their tongues. You speak true, Qahnaarin. I have indeed a favour to ask."

"What is it?"

"For countless years I have been bound to this place. It has become my _grunz,_ my… prison. I shall place upon you my _faan_ , my name. I would only ask that you would speak my name to the skies of _Keizaal_ , and grant me some time away from this place."

"That is it?" Serana asked. "Just bring you to Tamriel for a while?"

"Hmmm, trivial in your mind perhaps, but you would do me a great favour if you did."

"You cannot leave this place by yourself?" Tarrion asked.

"Hmmm _vogluuskei_ I cannot. My time here has left its mark on me. If I ventured too far and too long, I would surely perish. I do not require an answer, Qahnaarin. Simply speak my name to the heavens, when you feel the time is ripe."

They ascended the large staircase to the portal that would lead them back to castle Volkihar.

"So now you also have the allegiance of a Dragon?" Serana asked. "You grow more and more interesting every day we travel together."

Tarrion laughed. And it was the last thing the creatures and souls in the Soul Cairn heard from him, before they passed through the portal, and returned to the mortal world.

They left the castle, following the same passages that they previously took to reach Valerica's laboratory. It was still night time, despite that Tarrion thought that they had spent many hours in the Soul Cairn. He guessed that, since it was a part of Oblivion, time would pass differently there.

Tarrion rowed the boat away from the castle and headed for the main land. He saw how Serana sat silently and she looked at how the castle disappeared in the distance.

"Are you alright?" Tarrion asked her.

"… I'm not sure." Serana answered. "I… I'm just worried."

"About what?"

"About my mother."

Serana turned around and he saw a look of desperation in her eyes.

"What if I will never see her again, and the last thing I ever said to her is that I cannot forgive her? I…. I wish….. I wished she would have come with us."

Tarrion dropped the oars and held Serana's hands.

"Maybe, when all of this is over, we can come back for her."

"I… I don't know…. I don't ever want to return to the Soul Cairn."

Serana let go of Tarrion's hands and simply looked out over the sea that surrounded them, deep in thought. Tarrion didn't know what he could say, and he continued rowing.

When they reached the main land Serana let out a long breath, like she made up her mind, and wanted to put it behind her.

"So…" she said. "We have found another Elder Scroll, but we still need one more. But we have no idea where to find it."

"Actually, I do."

Serana looked with shock at Tarrion.

"What? You know where it is? Why didn't you say something before?"

"Because this Scroll is easy to find, and I didn't want to lug it around everywhere."

"…. Easy to find?"

Serana's look of surprise only increased.

"Then… where is it?" and Tarrion smiled.

"We have to visit a few old friends of mine."

"Old friends?"

"Yes. Very old and very bearded."

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

And so ends our adventure in the Soul Cairn. The second Elder Scroll has been found, Serana has met her mother, and Tarrion and Serana have gotten closer together. All in all that was a busy trip. I hope you like it so far, and stay tuned for the next chapter.

I would also like to thank everyone that has read my story thus far. Last month i had over 900 views on this story, so that really made me happy. Please follow, favourite, review if you like, it really helps me to motivate myself to write more.

Dragon Language used (a lot!):

Shouts:

 _Fus Ro Dah: Force Balance Push (from the Unrelenting Force Shout)_

 _Diil Qoth Zaam: Undead Tomb Slave (Durnehviir's shout to bring bonemen and wrathmen to his aid)_

 _Joor Zah Frul: Mortal Finite Temporary (from the Dragonrend Shout)_

Non-shouts:

 **Keeper Dialogues:**

 _Hi fent ni rahn: (You shall not pass)_

 _Valerica sil engein wah mii: (Valerica's soul belongs to us)_

 _Hi fen ni ahkron!: (You will not prevail)_

 _Hi nis lif daar staad!: (You cannot leave this place)_

 _Zu'u Fen…. : (I will….)_

 **Durnehviir dialogue:** (Dur-neh-viir means: _Curse-Never-Dying_ )

 _Qahnaarin: Vanquisher_

 _Kiir do vulon: Child of night_

 _Kendov: Warrior_

 _Krosis: Pardon (or sorry)_

 _Joor: Mortal(s)_

 _Hadrimme: Minds_

 _Keizaal: Skyrim_

 _Vogluuskei: Unfortunately (rough translation)_

 _PPS: I am Dutch (from the Netherlands) so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please let me know._


	12. Beyond Death 5

Beyond Death part 5

 _-The Reach-_

The night had reached its end and Tarrion and Serana rode through the northernmost parts of the Reach. They had taken the horses form the Solitude stables and now rode for Whiterun. There, as Tarrion said, they would rest, before they would go to find the last Elder Scroll.

"So, Tarrion." Serana said. "Explain to me. Where is the Scroll and why do we first have to visit a few 'old friends'?"

Tarrion looked ahead and saw the plains of Whiterun in the distance, and behind that he saw the highest mountain of Tamriel. Skyrim's Throat of the World. Where he was first called upon his duties as Dragonborn. Where he studied and meditated on the Thu'um. Where the Greybeards recognized him as Dragonborn, and gave him the title Dovahsebrom; Dragon of the North. It was on the peak of the mountain where he first fought Alduin, and where he travelled back in time to learn the Dragonrend Shout. Despite that he learned about his tremendous power there, and that he fought one of his greatest battles there, he still saw it as a place of peace. Above the problems of the world. And he looked forward to returning to it.

"Tarrion?"

"Eh, yes. Sorry, I was lost in thought."

"Clearly."

"Alright, to answer your questions. We first have to visit a few old, bearded friends, because I asked them to guard the path to the Elder Scroll."

"What?" Serana looked in confusion at him and clearly did not understand it. "Then… where is the Elder Scroll?"

Tarrion smiled and pointed at the peak of the Throat of the World.

"Up there."

Serana looked ahead and her mouth fell open in awe.

"You hid the Scroll on a mountain? Why?"

"That is not just any mountain." Tarrion said. "That is the Throat of the World, where the Greybeards live in their monastery of High Hrothgar. They are masters in the Way of the Voice, and who better way to guard an Elder Scroll, than five masters of the Thu'um?"

"So.. we have to climb that mountain, all the way to the top, to get the Elder Scroll?"

"Well, at least we won't have to pass through an undead realm filled with things that want to kill you. And don't worry about the climb. It will be long, but there is a path to High Hrothgar, known as the Seven Thousand Steps. I have no idea if there are indeed seven thousand steps, but I don't think that anyone bothers to count them."

The two rode on and entered Whiterun Hold a little bit later. The sun slowly looked over the mountains and the first rays shone bright across the sky. Serana donned her hood and clearly wanted to move faster. She looked at the east often to see how much time they had left, and sighed in relief when they saw Whiterun in the distance.

"Can I ask you about your weakness to sunlight?"

Serana looked at Tarrion, and nodded slowly.

"Well, I was wondering what the sun does to you. Is it lethal? Is it an annoyance? Is it dangerous?"

Serana sighed.

"Well, it won't kill me. But if I stay in the sun for too long, my skin starts to char. It also feels wrong…. For you it feels nice and warm, right?"

Tarrion nodded.

"Well, for me it feels like a burning warmth, not a pleasant warmth. I also get blinded by it so during the day I cannot see much."

Serana paused for a moment, like she was lost in thought.

"But the night… the night looks amazing." she said, and Tarrion saw a smile appear. "If you could see what I can see during the night, you would envy me…. The night holds more colours than you might think. You see only darkness, but I see every colour that you know, and more. Everything is…. Clearer than the brightest crystal. I can see everything. I can see an animal move, even from a hundred metres away. I can hear your heartbeat, every breath you take, I can sense your blood flow through you."

She sighed again, but now it was in longing.

"It sounds like the night is beautiful."

"It is… more beautiful than the day is to you."

 _-Whiterun-_

"My thane! You're back."

Tarrion and Serana walked through the gates of Whiterun and they saw that the city had just woken up. Adrianne was already working the forge next to Warmaidens, and Lydia was having a conversation with Ysolda.

Ysolda, a young Nord woman that Tarrion once helped obtaining a mammoth's tusk, greeted him with a smile. She was slender, with clear, brown eyes and light, brown hair. She was dressed in her usual brown with blue merchant clothing, as it was her dream to one day become the best merchant in Skyrim.

"Hello, Tarrion. How are you? Back from another grand adventure?"

"You can say that." Tarrion said. "But this adventure is not over yet. But how are you?"

"Oh, I am fine, but I am afraid my friends aren't. The guards still don't trust the Khajiit, and they won't let them into the city. They are forced to stay outside, and with these Vampire attacks, it becomes more dangerous to them."

When Serana heard about Vampire attacks, she turned her head around and pulled her hood further over her face, so that no-one would notice anything.

"Can't you do something about that, Tarrion?"

"Ysolda, you know I already did." Tarrion sighed. "But Jarl Balgruuf knows that there are still too many people that distrust them, and he keeps them out mostly for their own safety."

"I know… I know, but I still think it is too dangerous outside the city walls."

"I'll ask Balgruuf if I get the change."

"Thanks," Ysolda said. "but who is your companion?"

"This is Serana, and she has been… helping me on my adventures for the last few days."

Ysolda shook Serana's hand, and in the light of the sun, she didn't notice that her eyes were glowing.

"Charmed."

After Ysolda left to trade with the Khajiit, Tarrion, Serana and Lydia left for Breezehome. There Serana kept her hood on, because Lydia was still present, and looked around. Tarrion removed his belt with his sword and put it against the wall.  
"Any news while I was away, Lydia?"

"Not much. I heard that Vilkas came in with a nasty wound. He had to drive a Sabre Cat from someone's home, and it laid a nasty claw on him. I also heard that a young Redguard girl wanted to join the Companions, but she was too young."

"Really? Who was it?"

Lydia shrugged. "I don't know. She is new in Skyrim, so I don't think anyone knows who she really is."

"Wait… she is here on her own?"

Lydia nodded. "At least, as far as I know… I haven't seen her with anyone else."

Tarrion grabbed dropped in a chair and thought about this.

'A Redguard girl wants to join the Companions. She is too young, but still she travels on her own?'

"Do you know where she is now?"

"She is in the Bannered Mare. I think Hulda let's her sleep by the fire, because I don't think she has a place for the night."

"Serana?" Tarrion looked at her. "Do you mind if I go and talk to this girl? I know we wanted to get some rest, but…"

Serana looked at him, and nodded.

"Don't worry about me. I needed the rest anyway, so you go. I'll stay here, if that is alright."

And so Tarrion left for the Bannered Mare with Lydia behind him. She said she still had some errands to run, but there was something about her tone, that made Tarrion think otherwise.

While Lydia went to buy some groceries, Tarrion entered the Bannered Mare and asked Hulda about a Redguard girl.

"Yes, she is here. She is in the back room over there."

Tarrion found the girl indeed in the back room, sitting on a chair. Her skin was dark, as it was with all Redguards, and her hair was black. She looked young indeed and her brow was furled in a grumpy look. When Tarrion entered she looked up and he saw that she had blue eyes, which was uncommon in Redguards, who mostly had dark eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked sharply. "Go away and leave me be."

Tarrion smiled slightly and grabbed another chair and looked at the girl in front of him.

"Didn't you hear me? Get lost, or I'll cut your hands off."

Tarrion chuckled again.

"I can see why they rejected you. You are too young, and also too fiery."

The angry look disappeared from the girls face and surprise came in its place.

"Who are you? Are you a member of the Companions?" and Tarrion nodded.

"Well? What changed? You first didn't even allowed me to enter the hall, and now you send someone to fetch me anyway?"

"I simply haven't met you before, and I'd like to know who it was that wanted to join the Companions."

Tarrion's tone was calm, and he looked at the girl with the same look that Koldak had when he looked at Tarrion when he wanted to join the Companions. Tarrion remembered how Kodlak said that Tarrion had a 'certain strength of spirit'. Tarrion now saw that this girl also had a strong will and spirit, yet there was also an eagerness and fire in her, and it looked like there was a bit too much of it.

The girl looked at him with a fierce gaze and for a few moments they just looked at each other, trying to understand the other.

"Who are you? Really?" the girl asked.

"My name is Tarrion, and I am the Harbinger of the Companions."

The girl's eyes opened wide, and it almost looked like she thought Tarrion was joking.

"Now it is my turn." Tarrion said. "Who are you? What is your name? Where do you come from? Why do you want to join the Companions, and how old are you?"

It looked like the girl did not want to answer these questions, but it seemed like she did not want to disobey Tarrion, now that she knew who he was.

"My name is Rashäa. I come from a small village in Hammerfell. I am seventeen years old, although I do not see why that is important. And I want to join the Companions, because I want to fight. I want to kill beasts and bandits, and that is what the Companions do, isn't it?"

Tarrion sighed.

"Where are your parents? Are you in Skyrim alone?"

"Yes. I left Hammmerfell to join the Companions."

"Why did you leave?"

Rashäa got frustrated.

"Why does it matter? I just want to join the Companions. Why do you want to know all of this?"

"Because I want to know who joins." Tarrion said, and his voice turned serious. "You see, we don't 'kill' bandits or beasts. We solve problems. If bandits cause trouble, then we will solve that problem. Peaceful if possible, forceful if need be. I also want to know if you are not a criminal, or that you left home on the run from the law or the Thalmor. I want to know what drives you to join our ranks, and I want to know if, in a few days or weeks, an angry and worried parent will show up looking for you."

Tarrion stood up.

"The Companions fight, yes. But we are also a band of brothers and sisters, where we look out for each other, where no-one is superior to the other and where we fight for each other... You have fire in your eyes, and that is a good thing. But there is too much of it, and that gets innocent people killed. And if you don't believe me, ask Uthgerd."

Tarrion sighed again, and looked at the girl, who now had an expression of anger and grief in her eyes.

"You are indeed too young to join the Companions, but there are always exceptions to make. But above all, you have too much fire in your blood, and unless you can control it, so it will not fire back at you, you cannot join our ranks."

Tarrion turned around and walked through the door, but he turned around one last time.

"If you can learn to calm yourself and let your mind speak before your sword…. to use that fire in you, but only when needed… then I think we can let you join us. The skill with the sword is useless, if you cannot use your head."

Tarrion left the Bannered Mare and left for Jorrvaskr. There he talked to Aela about Rashäa and what they both said.

"I agree with you, Tarrion." Aela said. "I already saw that she was restless, and that she was too eager."

Tarrion nodded. "Well, I told her that, if she could calm herself and control that fire in her, she could try again. Her age is indeed a point to think about, but there are always exceptions to make."

"So I can expect her to show up here tomorrow?"

"Ha, ha…. Probably." Tarrion laughed. "But I just remembered; how is Vilkas? I heard he came back with a nasty wound."

"I'm fine, Tarrion."

Vilkas showed up behind him and Tarrion saw that he had a few bandages around his shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes!" Vilkas said, and threw his hands in the air. "I'm not decrepit yet! By Ysmir, stop worrying about me!"

"It looks like the fire is also strong in him." Aela joked.

Tarrion stayed for another few moments in Jorrvaskr, and listened to the stories that the others had. But after a while he knew he had to go back, and so he said goodbye to the others and left for Breezehome. Lydia was had just finished shopping for groceries, and walked back with him.

"Follow me, please." she suddenly said and she walked toward a quiet place, away from the market rabble. Tarrion followed her and Lydia turned around and she had a look of fear and anger.

"This 'Serana'…" she started. ".. what do you know of her?"

Tarrion knew what Lydia asked, but he did not answer the question in the way Lydia meant.

"I know who she is, and who her family is. Where she comes from, and that she is a very capable fighter…. Why do you ask?"

Lydia looked fiercely at Tarrion.

"Don't tell me you haven't seen her eyes glow. Don't tell me that she wears a hood on the middle of the day, just because it looks good on her. Don't tell me that you haven't seen her pale skin…."

Lydia was now clearly worried and even a bit angry, and it gave her a red complexion.

"She is a Vampire…"

Tarrion nodded calmly. "I know."

"…Then … What?... why?..."

"Why do I accompany her? Because I trust her, and I promised to help her."

"But how do you know…."

"Because I trust her." Tarrion said, and Lydia could hear that his voice became serious. "Lydia, I can understand that you don't trust her, and I am glad that you want to keep me safe, but I have travelled with her for almost a full week now, and she has not let me down yet. She has saved my life at least once, possibly twice. She trusts me, and I trust her, and I would ask of you to give her a change."

It was clear that Lydia wanted to protest, but she knew that she couldn't disobey her thane.

"Yes, my thane." and Tarrion could hear the reluctance in her voice.

"Lydia, no…" Tarrion stopped her and he put his hands on her shoulders. "I ask you to give her a change, not because I order you too, but because I hope you trust me."

"But.. of course I trust you… how can you say…"

"Then trust me on this…. I know what I'm doing."

Although Lydia did not like it one bit, she agreed, and they went back to Breezehome. There Lydia immediately stored the groceries and Tarrion looked around for Serana.

"Serana?"

But he did not hear an answer. He walked upstairs and saw that the door to his bedroom was ajar. When he entered he saw Serana lying on the bed, fast asleep. Her knife laid on one of the dressers next to the bed, and she had kicked the fur covers away.

On that moment, Tarrion did not see a Vampire, but a young woman whom he deeply cared for. Her black hair had fallen over her pale face, and Tarrion saw her chest go up and down as she breathed and one arm hung on the ground.

Tarrion felt a surge of affection coursing through him, and he smiled, closed and locked the door and walked to the bed. He laid Serana's arm on her chest and pulled the fur covers over her. He gently stroked her black hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek.

Serana turned around and in her sleep, she grabbed Tarrion's hand and pulled it close to her. Tarrion fell to his knees, with his hand still pressed between Serana's arms. He carefully pulled his hand back and Serana let him go, and she breathed deeply, and Tarrion saw a smile on her face, like she had good dream.

Despite that it was still mid-day, Tarrion felt tired and so he kicked off his boots, and removed his armour and grabbed a simple tunic. He decided to let Serana sleep and fell into a chair next to the door. Below he heard Lydia rummaging through the pots and pans, and in the distance he heard the slight noise coming from the market.

A few moments later he smelled the pleasant smell of cooked meat and apple-cabbage stew. Lydia was cooking something nice and it made Tarrion feel even more tired. He closed his eyes and before he knew it, he fell asleep.

For a few moments he felt truly at peace. The smell of good food, the loyalty and love from Lydia and the feelings he had for Serana made him feel better than he had in ages. He felt at peace… like there was nothing to worry about… like he was where he belonged.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

Ok, I actually planned on making this chapter a tad longer, and progressing the story much more, but there was more than enough to write about. My original plan was to make this the last chapter of this Arc, but now we have more time to get the last Scroll.

I hope you like it so far, and stay tuned for the next chapter.

Since my Project Week is now finished, and college starts tomorrow again, I think I won't have as much time to write. I think I'll be able to publish 1, maybe 2 chapters a week.

No other languages were used.

 **Characters:**

 **Vilkas:** One of the Companions. Twin brother to Farkas. He helps you avenge Kodlak at Driftshade.

 **Kodlak:** Previous Harbinger of the Companions. He was killed in a Silver Hand attack, and you cured him of his Lycanthropy in Ysgramor's Tomb.

 **Hulda:** She is the innkeeper of the Bannered Mare.


	13. Beyond Death 6

Beyond Death part 6

It wasn't until many hours later that Lydia woke Tarrion up. Serana woke up as well, and the three of them had a good meal that Lydia had prepared. Although Serana also grabbed a few bites from the venison that Lydia prepared, and also tired a bit of apple-cabbage stew, Tarrion could see that she preferred a different meal. But not to upset Lydia, Tarrion did not feed Serana.

Tarrion waited until the sun finally started to set, before he would continue their journey to find the final Elder Scroll, because he knew that Serana would feel uncomfortable in the sunlight. And they waited until the final rays of sunlight disappeared over the mountains, before they left Whiterun and grabbed the horses from the stables. They decided to take the northern road and approach Ivarstead from the north before they would climb the Seven Thousand Steps.

"Thank you." Serana said when they left HonningBrew Meadery behind them.

"For what?"

"For waiting until the night would fall, so I won't have to travel in daylight."

Tarrion smiled and nodded.

"I thought it would be better for the both of us to get as much rest as possible. We have been on the road for days on end now, and between saving a Moth Priest and traveling through the Soul Cairn, we hardly had any real rest. Also, the nights are much more quiet and peaceful."

"I'm just afraid we didn't leave soon enough."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Serana started. "I think your housecarl, Lydia, started to suspect what I am."

"Oh, it's too late for that. She already knows. But don't worry, I asked her to give you a change, and she promised me that she would."

"Really?" Serana seemed shocked by the fact that Lydia already knew that she was a Vampire. "But… how do you know she won't tell anyone else? The last thing I need is another group of people trying to kill me."

"Because I trust her." Tarrion said calmly. "I trust her as much as I trust you. She promised me to give you a change, and I am sure she will not try to kill you."

Serana still did not seem at ease, but for now it was enough for her. She trusted Tarrion to speak the truth, and he seemed calm, and that calmed her as well.

After a few hours, and a long and tiresome climb, they reached Ivarstead. They scaled the mountainous pathway to reach the Rift, and entered the town after the night had fallen.

"We will leave the horses here, and follow the pathway to High Hrothgar on foot."

"On foot?" Serana asked. "Why can't we use the horses?"

"Because the pathway is treacherous and uneven. It is not a path made for horses, but for pilgrimage to the monastery."

And so they left the horses at the Vilemyr Inn, and continued on foot. Tarrion had travelled the Seven Thousand Steps multiple times already, and he knew it would be a long and tiresome climb, but if they would be lucky it would be a peaceful climb.

"So… you have travelled… this path before?" Serana panted after they reached the first areas with snow. She turned around and saw the whole of the Rift lying below and Ivarstead was only a tiny town now. In the distance she could see the slight glimmering of a lake, but Tarrion could not see it, for he did not have Vampiric Sight.

"Yes, quite a few times by now." Tarrion said. "I still remember the first time I climbed these steps, when I was still a weak, and very ignorant, Dragonborn."

"How did that feel?"

Tarrion smiled. "Surreal… I have never seen myself as an amazing warrior, or a great and powerful warlord. I was summoned after I killed a Dragon near Whiterun. I absorbed its soul and a few moments later the skies thundered, and a loud cry could be heard, shouting; _Do-Vah-Kiin_. The Greybeards shouted to summon me. At first I thought that it was a reward for killing the Dragon. That they would 'bless' me, or something like that. Instead they told me of my true power, that as Dragonborn I could use the same powers that the Dragons could use, and that my destiny was something great. I later found out that it was my destiny to rid the World of Alduin. But here I meditated, learned the Words of Power that make up the Shouts. I contemplated on them, learned their meaning… and of course, how to use them."

"You say that these 'Greaybeards' called you _Dovahkiin_ … what does that name mean?"

" _Dovah_ , means 'Dragon'." Tarrion explained. " _Kiin,_ means 'Born'. So it literally means Dragonborn, but it can also be seen as 'Born Dragon Hunter', although I don't agree with that meaning. I don't see the Dragons as enemies. I see them as creatures, just like the Khajiit, Agronians, Humans, Orcs and Elves that just want a place in this world. And just like others, they have a bad reputation, but under the right leadership, they can help make this world a better place."

"With 'others' you mean Vampires?" Serana asked and Tarrion nodded.

"At first I agreed with Isran. 'Vampires are bloodsucking fiends that need to be rooted out'. But after I met you I began to question that. You showed me that, despite that you are a Pure-Blooded Vampire, you are not evil. You are also capable of compassion, friendship… and love."

While they talked, the sky had begun to clear up and the stars appeared in the night's sky. The path went up and down, and they rested for a few moments in a small cave. When they continued, a small breeze had set up and after another long climb, the monastery of High Hrothgar appeared before them. The old, grey walls stood as strong as they had for centuries. A lights burned behind small windows, indicating that a few of the Greybeards were still awake.

'Good.' Tarrion thought to himself.

Tarrion led Serana over the few last steps before they reached the iron gates, engraved with large figurines and imagery, and Tarrion pushed them open.

They entered the main room with torches still burning bright, the large brazier filled with fire, and a few old pottery standing against a large stone. Tarrion saw one of the Greybeards just walking over a small elevated area that led to the courtyard. The old man was clad in grey robes and had a long, grey beard. Tarrion recognized him as Master Borri. The Greybeard looked up, and as soon as he saw Tarrion he made a respectful bow. Tarrion walked up to him and made a bow as well.

"Master Borri." he said. "My apologies to come at this hour, but I have to see Paarthurnax. It is important."

Master Borri looked from Tarrion to Serana, and then made a small gesture, and left.

"What is he doing?" Serana asked.

"He goes to wake Master Arngeir. He is the one that represents the Greybeards."

A few moments later Borri appeared with Arngeir behind him.

"Welcome again Dragonborn. To what do we owe the honour of your visit to High Hrothgar."

"Master." Tarrion said, and he made a small bow to Arngeir. "I have to speak to Paarthurnax. It is urgent."

"Why of course you can speak to him. You are Dragonborn, and you do not need our permission… so why do you ask this anyway?"

"Because I would like to bring my companion with me." Tarrion answered and he nodded at Serana.

Serana did not know what to do. She saw that the Greybeards were all old men, but she could also feel the power that they had. It was not as great as Tarrion's power, but great nonetheless. She felt that these 'old men', commanded respect, and she made a small, respectful bow.

"I am afraid I cannot allow that." Master Arngeir said and he shook his head. "We cannot allow any of the uninitiated to scale the sacred path to Paarthurnax. It cannot happen that others know of Paarthurnax."

"Others already do." Tarrion said calmly. "Some of the Blades already know of Paarthurnax, and their leader even told me to kill him. I refused because I trust Paarthurnax, and I trust Serana here. She will not tell the secret, for as long as she lives. And I think I have proven myself to be trustworthy, Master."

Arngeir sighed. His beard seemed to tremble, but it was not because of anger.

"…. You trust this woman?" he asked after some time. "You trust her with your life?"

"With my life."

"…Then very well. I will allow her to pass through, but you must be the one to open the way as you travel to Paarthurnax."

Tarrion made another bow, and so did Serana, and they passed through the doors that lead to the courtyard.

"Tarrion, what have you gotten me in to?" Serana asked, and Tarrion chuckled.

"Not to worry. As long as you don't tell what you have seen, nothing will happen."

"Yes, but… Who.. or what, is this Paarthurnax? Why is he on the peak, and not here in this monastery?"

"You will see soon enough…"

Serana was not satisfied with this answer, but Tarrion was occupied with the path. It was barred by mist and treacherous places where the wind blew with dangerous force. Tarrion shouted multiple times on the path to the peak of the mountain, and cleared the mist and wind, so that the two of them could pass through. Serana now looked out over Skyrim, from heights that she had never walked before. Even the biggest cities now seemed like small dots on a map and far to the north, she saw a massive statue. She knew not of what this statue was, but she had no time to look closer, because Tarrion had to move onward.

LOK VAH KOOR

Tarrion shouted one last time, and cleared the last portion of mist and they walked through the now open air. Behind them the mist closed and they walked over untouched snow. The world around them was white. Everything was covered with a layer of snow, and Serana's hair had become white from the icy air, and also Tarrion looked different with white hair.

A loud roar tore the silence apart and Serana felt herself grab her dagger. Tarrion had not made a move and simply walked forward, toward a large Word Wall. Serana looked around and saw a large Dragon appear from behind the highest peak.

"Tarrion! Look out!" she shouted, but Tarrion did not move.

"Calm yourself, Serana." he smirked. "You asked me who, or what, Paarthurnax was? Well, there he is."

Serana felt her jaw drop in awe as the large dragon approached. His scales were green and grey and he had a beard of spikes around his jaw. Two large horns came out of the back of his head, and enormous claws were attached to his wings. He looked at Serana and his roar almost sounded like a laugh, and after he circled around them he landed on the Word Wall. His teeth were bared in a smile and Tarrion walked up to the old Dragon and made a respectful bow.

"Greetings, Tarrion. It is good to see you again."

"Greetings, Old One." Tarrion said. "It has been a long time since I have been here."

"Hmm, indeed. And yet, you have grown in your _suleyk,_ and have brought peace to the _Dov._ Something I once thought to be impossible. Have you come to meditate on the _Rotmulaag?_ "

"No, not this time. I have come for the Elder Scroll that I left here."

"Hmm, of course. It is yours after all. But tell me _Dovahkiin_ , who is your companion. I see that she is a _Rovaan Vulon_."

Serana still looked with her eyes wide open at Paarthurnax. It was clear that she was afraid, now that this Dragon was only a few metres away from her.

"A… what?"

"Hmm, _krosis._ The _Dov_ do not have the word that the mortals have for your kind. I believe they call you… 'Vampires'. But we call your kind the _Rovaan Vulon:_ Night Walkers. And there is no need to fear me. You are in the company of the _Dovahkiin_ , and that means he must trust you. Would you have come here alone…. Then things would have been… hmm, different."

"I… I see."

Serana stayed close to Tarrion, but when he walked forward, towards the Word Wall, and toward the Dragon, she stayed behind. She saw that this Dragon was older and more powerful than her, and she was not entirely sure what to think of him.

Tarrion kneeled at the Word Wall and removed a thick layer of snow. Underneath lay a large box, engraved with runes and plated with steel and silver. He opened it and pulled the Elder Scroll out, wrapped in light cloth.

"Forgive my indulgence, Tarrion. But why do you need the _Kel_?"

But it seemed that Paarthurnax already saw why, before Tarrion even answered.

"Hmm, I see. There is a _qostiid_ , a prophecy that you try to prevent."

Tarrion closed the box and covered it with snow, and it looked like there was nothing hidden there.

Paarthurnax looked at Serana when he talked about the prophecy, and he saw that she had a look of pain in her eyes, and she looked down.

"Hmm, _krosis_. I see that this prophecy is a matter close to you." Paarthurnax said to Serana. Tarrion walked back to her, and half expected her to ignore what Paarthurnax said, but surprisingly, she did not.

"Yes, it is." she said. "I… It is my father. He tries to… do something terrible, and we have to stop him. But…"

"You are not sure if you can?" Paarthurnax finished her sentence, and Serana nodded.

"This… prophecy is written on an Elder Scroll. And I have heard that prophecies always come true, no matter how hard you try to prevent it. I'm just…. I'm afraid we are too late, or that everything we do… will be for nothing."

"Hmmm, I understand." Paarthurnax said. "But you are wrong about prophecies. A _qostiid,_ prophecy, does not say what 'will' happen, but only what 'may' happen. There was a prophecy that Alduin, my brother, could not be defeated. But that prophecy was stopped, by the man that stands next to you. You say that your _bormah,_ your father, tries to do something terrible. And this prophecy says that it will happen, but only if nothing is done to stop it. Nothing is fixed in Time, and even we who ride the currents of Time, cannot see past its end. Even the river of Time, can change, flow fast or slow, and sometimes take a new course."

"But I am a Vampire…" Serana said, and the frustration was clear in her voice. "Vampires feed on the blood of others, and so do I. We are shunned by mortals for a reason… we earned that reputation… a legacy of murderers who feed on the living. I... I have killed more than I can count. I have a darker history than Tarrion knows…. I fear that I will become like my father… that it is somehow inevitable."

Tarrion looked at Serana. This was a side of her that he had not seen before. She sounded desperate and afraid.

"Hmmm, true." Paarthurnax slowly answered. "I sense in you that you passed through much darkness…. And yet I do not sense that darkness in you. You speak true that Vampires are shunned by the _joor._ And so are the _dov_. We are creatures of domination, like our father Akatosh made us. But I have overcome my evil nature through meditation, and finding a purpose in life. You have seen evil, and you are made into what you are, by evil. But what is better? To be born good, or to overcome your evil nature?"

Serana said nothing, and Tarrion never seen her like this. He stood, nailed to the ground, not knowing what to say to her.

"Hmm, I see that you are still conflicted, _Rovaan Vulon_. But you also have a friend… more than a friend. Trust him. He has brought peace to the _Dov_ , and I believe he can also bring peace to you."

And with those words, Paarthurnax spread his wings and flew away, leaving Tarrion and Serana behind on the Throat of the World.

For a few moments Tarrion was still nailed to the ground, unable to move. But as soon as he came to his senses, he grabbed Serana and wrapped his arms around her. It took her a few moments to realize where she was, and she hugged Tarrion back.

"Why haven't you told me of any of this before?"

"Because… I…. I thought you wouldn't understand. You are not like me. You are a hero… people love you, but…. I am a Vampire. A 'night walker', and people only want to kill me. You cannot understand what that is like…. And now I am also fighting against the ones that are like me. Vingalmo, Orthjolf, Fura…. They were my friends for countless years…."

"You are right….. I do not know how you must feel."

Tarrion could not say anything else, because he knew it would not help. He only held Serana tighter, and tried to express what he felt.

After a while the two let each other go. They said nothing as they returned to High Hrothgar, and it wasn't until they could see Ivarstead down below, that Serana finally said something.

"He was right."

"Who?"

"Paarthurnax. He was right when he said that I could trust you… I…. I'm glad you're here with me."

She grabbed his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. The two of them looked out over the Rift and Tarrion laid his head on hers.

"As am I."

 _-Fort Dawnguard-_

The sun had just started to rise when Tarrion and Serana arrived at For Dawnguard. It had begun to rain when they passed Riften, and they were both soaked by the time they reached Dayspring Canyon. As they walked through the main gate to the fortress they saw that a few members were just waking up.

"Ah, they're back."

Agmaer looked up and saw how the two stroked the water from their faces.

"Any luck finding Elder Scrolls?"

Tarrion nodded. "Where is Dexion? We have both of the Scrolls, so he can finally read them."

Tarrion saw Agmaer's face change.

"Ah… right… about that…. You should talk to him."

"What is it?"

Agmaer shook his head and told him to speak to Dexion. Serana looked at Tarrion, but he shrugged, and they climbed the staircase to see the Moth Priest.

When they entered the old man's room, they found it to be dimly lit by only one candle and they saw Dexion sitting on the edge of his bed.

"We have found the other Scrolls, Dexion."

The Moth Priest did not turn around. "Ah, yes. Good, very good, but… I am afraid I cannot help you with that anymore?"

"What do you mean?" Serana asked.

"I am afraid I was careless before. I thought I could stop any effects the reading might have… but I couldn't."

The old man stood up and turned around. He still wore the same grey robes as before, and his beard was a little less dirty than when they saw him last. The only difference now was that he was wearing a blindfold. A dark grey piece of cloth was wrapped around his head, over his eyes.

"What happened?" Tarrion asked. "That blindfold you wear…. Are you…"

"Blind?" Dexion said and he sighed. "Yes, I'm afraid so. I cannot read the Scrolls for you anymore."

"What happened? What went wrong?" Serana asked.

"I'm afraid I was too eager in reading the Scroll, and I did not prepare enough. It is not the first time a Moth Priest has gone blind, and that makes it all the worse. I knew the consequences, but I thought I could negate the effect… but to no avail."

"Then what do we do now? We have to find another Moth Priest for the readings?"

Tarrion did not look forward to that. Finding Dexion had proven more difficult than he hoped, and the prospect of doing it all over again, was not a happy thought.

"No… there might be another way." Dexion said.

"What way?"

"It involves an old Moth Priest ritual, but it is not without danger. Going blind could be the least of your troubles."

"What do we have to do then? What is this ritual?" Serana asked.

"Scattered across Tamriel are secluded places known as Ancestor Glades. There you can find a specific type of Moth called Ancestor Moths, and rare trees known as Canticle trees. The ritual involves carefully removing a bit of bark from the tree, and allowing the Ancestor Moths to follow you. Once enough of the Moths are following, they will allow you to understand the Second Sight, that is needed to read the Scroll."

"… Wait. That is it?" Serana asked? "Just remove the bark and let the Moths follow you? That sounds a lot easier than anything we've done before."

"True. Every Moth Priest is taught this ritual, and since we are no warriors, it is indeed a rather simple one. But the danger lies in reading the Scroll. As I said that going blind is only a small effect that the Scrolls can have. There are also effects that are far more dangerous."

"Alright…" Tarrion said. "So we have to find one of these Ancestor Glades. Where are they, and what do we have to do once we get there? Is there anything we should know?... how to remove the bark? How many Moths need to follow?"

"Hmm….." Dexion thought. "I know of one Glade in Skyrim, to the south of the pine forest of Falkreath, a bit up into the mountains…. In keeping with tradition, there should be a draw knife in the Glade that you need to use to remove the bark from the Canticle tree. Then the Moths should follow you."

And so, not a few moments after the returned to Fort Dawnguard, they found out they had to leave again. But since the rain was still pouring down, and they were still soaked to the bone, they decided to stay a while in the fort. Serana refused to sit in the main hall around the fire, because none of the Dawnguard had shown her any respect, despite what she had done so far. Tarrion agreed with her that it was not fair, and they retired to Tarrion's room upstairs. It also had a small hearth, and the two of them talked for a long time.

The warm smell of the hearth made them both feel comfortable, and they sat, shoulder to shoulder, near the fire to warm their cold bones. And despite that their clothes were already dry, and the rain had stopped, they stayed. They ignored everything else, the one only paying attention to the other.

=End of Chapter=

=End of Arc=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

And now this arc is finally done. I'll be honest, I didn't think it would take me this long. I hoped I still have everybody's attention…. Because the story is finally progressing to the next arc. I think that will be the second-to-last arc for the Dawnguard Storyline, and after that I have absolutely no idea what happens. But I'm sure I'll figure something out.

Now for something more serious; I am, once again, in a dilemma. Stuff is happening again, and I need to make a decision and that will have some major effect on practically everything for me. I have no idea what these effects are, so only time will tell. I hope you will stay patient, while waiting for the next arc, and to give you a slight sneak-peak ahead: A little bird whispered in my ear that something passionate will happen.

Dragon Language:

 _Paar-thur-nax means: Ambition Overlord Cruelty_

 _Lok Vah Koor: Sky Spring Summer (from the Clear Skies Shout)_

 _Suleyk: Power_

 _Dov: Dragons_

 _Rotmulaag: Words of Power_

 _Rovaan Vulon: Night Walkers (or wanderers)_

 _Qostiid: Prophecy_

 _Kel: Elder Scroll_

 _Bormah: Father_


	14. Touching the Sky 1

Touching the Sky part 1

 _-Fort Dawnguard-_

Even though it was the middle of the night, Tarrion was wide awake. He snuck down the stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible. The few torches that lit the darkened hallways made it difficult for him to see, and to avoid knocking things over. He turned right, left, down the stairs, left again and then the hall to the right. He saw that it was abandoned and he silently grabbed what he was after and left the room.

He heard a noise behind him and ducked behind a few old barrels. The spider that was calmly making her web in the exact same place were Tarrion hid was forced to start all over again. As Tarrion looked over the edge of the barrel, he saw that someone had just woken up and now walked in his direction. He was not carrying a torch, and when he passed by Tarrion he did not notice anything. Tarrion silently cast Muffle and Invisibility, and he walked back the way he came. Up the stairs, right, left and then the room at the end.

"You have it? Nobody saw you?" a voice asked as soon as he entered the room.

"Wait, how do you even know I'm back? I'm invisible." he asked.

"I can sense your blood…. Even with my eyes closed, I can know where you are."

"Right… well I have it yes."

Serana smiled.

"Thank you… I'm sorry you have to do this for me, but…."

"Don't worry…. I asked you to tell me if you needed it…."

"Yes, but… this is something that must hurt a lot."

"True, but I have suffered much worse than this… besides, it doesn't hurt that much. What do you take me for?"

'Someone who I love…' she thought to herself, but she didn't say it.

Tarrion grabbed a small dagger, and placed the goblet he just took from the dining room on the table. He held his wrist over the cup and pulled the blade past it.

He let out a small grunt, and he felt the blood flowing from his wrist, and he saw it filling the cup.

"You said that one cup was enough?" and Serana nodded.

"Yes, yes of course."

Tarrion filled the goblet to the edge and removed his wrist before he healed it. A small scar was what was left of the bleeding wound, but no-one would be able to notice it. Tarrion's entire body was scarred so one more would not matter.

Serana grabbed the goblet and drank its contents, to the last drop. His warm blood flowed through her mouth, and it's taste made her feel better. She knew by now that Tarrion's blood was different from that of other humans, but this was because he was Dragonborn, so one could say she was drinking the blood of a Dragon. To her it did not matter why it tasted so good, she only thought of how grateful she was to him. That he let her feed on his blood, without giving it a second thought, was something no-one else would do for her.

"Hmmmm…. Thank you."

This was the second time that Serana drank Tarrion's blood. She knew that he did not mind, and yet it did make her feel uncomfortable. She didn't want to hurt Tarrion, but she also knew that she had to feed every few days. The more often the better.

After a few hours they left Fort Dawnguard. The sky was bright, and the moon and stars gave Tarrion enough light to see everything. Serana, with her Vampiric Sight, was able to see everything. To the last flower and animal that was on their path. They made their way past Riften and headed for the mountains that would lead them to Helgen. From there they would go southwest to find Ancestor Glade.

The previous night they asked Dexion which of the three Scroll they would need to read to understand the next part of the prophecy. He told them that it was the Scroll they obtained from Serana's mother, Valerica.

"Then why did we need to get the third one?" had Tarrion asked.

"Because I did not know which Scroll would tell the next part." Dexion explained. "I read the first one, and now I can sense that the second one is that Scroll. I did not know before."

And so they had left the other two Elder Scrolls in Tarrion's room in Fort Dawnguard. They knew it wouldn't make sense to lug them around everywhere, and the Dawnguard was a good place to hide them for now. Tarrion had made provisions for the journey ahead, while Serana only needed her weapon.

While Tarrion and Serana travelled through the Rift, he told her stories of things he had seen before. Other tombs he had raided, and ancient artefacts that were locked away and protected in these tombs. When Tarrion told Serana of an old sword he found in a tomb, Serana had to laugh.

"So you have found many artefacts while raiding tombs. It must have been a surprise when you found me."

"A big one… yes." Tarrion said. "When they told me there was some 'long lost Vampire artefact' in there, I expected an old weapon, or tomes of ancient knowledge, or…. Something like that."

"Ha.. and you got me."

"Indeed… but it is not so bad, really." he teased her. "I don't have to carry you everywhere."

"Is that the only reason?"

"No…. you, eh…." Tarrion stammered, and he sighed. "You are also pleasant company…. I …. I'm glad I found you."

It was dark, but Serana could see that Tarrion became red in his face, and she decided not to say anything. She was glad that he could not see in the dark, because she also felt herself becoming red.

 _-Falkreath Hold-_

With the sun slowly coming up, they decided to move faster. They kept largely to the high road because Dexion said that Ancestor Glade was 'a bit into the mountains'. They passed an old watchtower and looked for a path that would lead up into the mountains.

Tarrion breathed in the morning air. Out of all the holds in Skyrim, he loved Falkreath the most. The pine air, green forests, mountains on all sides and Lake Illinalta made it a place that radiated peace. He heard that countless battles had been fought in Falkreaht, but there was almost no trace of it, except for a large cemetery in the town. It looked like nature had claimed everything back and lived on and prospered.

After a while of searching they found a small pathway that lead upward, into the mountains. They steered the horses carefully up the narrow path, but after a while it had gotten too steep to ride. So they dismounted and led their horses higher and higher. As they walked on they found small piles of stones, standing next to the path they walked.

"I guess we are on the right track." Serana said. "These stones definitely mean something."

Tarrion simply followed her and it was a good thing that they climbed the mountains on the northern side. The sun had climbed higher while they searched and they now walked in the large, mountainous shadow. Tarrion saw that it would not take long for those shadows to disappear and then they would be exposed. This mattered little to him, and he even looked forward to seeing the sun again. He had travelled with Serana mostly during the nights, to make the journey easier for her, but now it looked like they would walk in the sun. Serana noticed this and started to walk faster, almost dragging her horse up the mountain.

"There…. I think I see an entrance."

Serana pointed ahead and walked past another few piles of rocks, and Tarrion saw it too. A small, almost invisible entrance could be seen, and a small pathway with a few last steps lead to it. A small plateau gave enough room for the horses to rest under two large trees, and Serana and Tarrion walked to the entrance.

"So…" Tarrion said. "are you ready?"

"Yes, but…"

Serana seemed conflicted and she looked at the dark entrance before her.

"What is it?"

"Well…. One of us has to read the Scroll, right? Which one of us will do it, knowing the danger?"

"I will." Tarrion said calmly and Serana looked surprised.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I have read an Elder Scroll before, and I survived then. I am confident that I will survive now."

"You have? Really?" and Tarrion nodded.

"Yes, but I will tell you about that later. For now, let's just focus on what is ahead."

"Yes.. yes you're right. Then let's go."

Without hesitation Serana stepped into the entrance and disappeared in the dark. That was not a moment too soon, because the sun peaked over the mountains and the plateau now bathed in sunlight. Tarrion closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He felt the warmth of the sun on his face and it was a pleasant feeling. It invigorated him and gave him new strength, and when he opened his eyes he was blinded by the light.

"Tarrion? You coming?" he heard Serana say, and he stepped into the cave, away from the sun.

After a bit of squeezing they found themselves in a small cavern, but unlike most caverns, this one was filled with small bushes and plants, and grass covered the floor. A small path lead across and a fallen tree was leaning against an elevated area where the path continued. A small amount of light came down from a few cracks in the ceiling and the cavern bathed in a pale, almost blue light. Tarrion looked around and saw that it was beautiful, but nothing that would look like a draw knife or a Canticle tree. He also did not see a single moth fly around, and there was no sign of life in this small cavern.

They followed the path and climbed on the fallen tree to the elevated area. Another path lead deeper into the cavern and more piles of stones were made that marked it. Tarrion walked ahead, but Serana followed slowly and looked back at the cavern.

"It looks nice but…. Hmm. Not very impressive is it? I thought there would be more. If this ends up being a wasted trip, your friend Dexion and I are going to have some words when we get back."

Tarrion had walked on and suddenly stepped into a giant open area, and his mouth fell open in awe.

"Ehh, Serana…. Care to revise that statement?"

"What do you….. mean?"

Serana came standing next to Tarrion and her mouth fell open as well and she looked around, like she had never seen anything like it before, and Tarrion could only agree.

A massive cavern was before them. They stood on a higher point and from where they stood, they could see everything. The entire cavern was filled with trees, large, straight pine trees and smaller, crooked trees and Tarrion thought that these were the Canticle trees. The path continued and many steps, engraved with figurines of flowers and branches, lead down to the central part of the cavern. In the middle, about ten metres below them, a hot spring filled the entire place with a soft and warm smell, and steam rose from the water. There were bushes everywhere, bushes that neither of them had ever seen before, and moths flew near every tree and plant. The moths themselves were large and their wings had a deep grey colour. They fluttered around Tarrion and Serana as they walked down the steps. Thick, wet moss hung down from the rocks and Tarrion saw more pathways leading to other, elevated areas with more trees, plants and bushes. A large hole was in the ceiling and the rays of the sun fell through it, making the entire cavern bathe in a golden light.

"Dragon's bones…" Tarrion said.

"By the blood…" Serana said. "Look at this place…. No-one has been here in centuries."

They continued to walk down the steps, and both of them wished they had an extra pair of eyes, because neither of them had ever witnessed such beauty in nature.

"This… this is.." Tarrion started, but he could not find the words.

"I… I doubt there is another place like it in Skyrim…. It's beautiful."

Tarrion looked at Serana and she had tears in her eyes, and he could not blame her. He had never seen anything like this before, and not even Eldergleam Sanctuary was as beautiful as this.

Both Serana and Tarrion forgot about everything else. It was like nothing mattered and only they, and this place of beauty existed. Serana walked up to the hot spring and her black hair was getting wet from the damp that came from the water. She let out a deep breath and sat on the ground next to the water. Tarrion sat next to her and he felt that the ground was warm. Small water plants grew on the edge of the spring and a few white lilies floated on the surface.

Tarrion removed his gauntlets, because it was too warm to wear them. He saw Serana remove her cloak and throw it against a tree. She leaned back and closed her eyes.

"Please, Tarrion. Tell me….. is this place real? Or just a dream?"

Tarrion came closer to her and place his hand on hers. Her pale skin had always felt cold, but now it felt warmer.

"It is real." he said. "But even if it were a dream… it is one we can share."

They sat next to each other, her shoulder pressed against his, and Tarrion felt a surge go through him and before he could help himself he leaned in to kiss Serana. But as he leaned in, Serana turned her head, and instead of kissing her on her cheek, he pressed his lips against hers.

Tarrion pulled back, and he had a feeling that he ruined the moment. Serana looked at him with her eyes open, and a warm glow came from them.

Then, without a word, she grabbed him and kissed him, like never before. Tarrion fell on his back, and for a moment he was stunned. But then he grabbed Serana's back and pushed her body against his, and Serana moaned softly.

When Tarrion would previously fight it, he now gave in completely. When he would previously think of something else, he now thought of nothing else, and when he would previously try and do something else, he now ran his hands over Serana's back and through her hair. Her face felt cold against his, and his skin felt warm against hers.

And Serana finally admitted to herself, that she had found love. As a Pure-Blooded Vampire, a Daughter of Coldharbour, she thought it would forever elude her, but she now felt alive. More alive than she had ever felt before, as she cupped Tarrion's face and tugged his lip. Tarrion kissed her on her neck and she grinded her body on his chest.

With a gentle push, Tarrion pushed Serana aside as he rolled on top of her and kissed her. She grabbed his head and pressed it on her chest, and he reached around and passionately ran his hand over her back, and Serana felt the warmth coming from him.

They rolled over so that she was now on top of him, and she grabbed his wrists and pushed them away as she pressed her forehead on his. She smiled and closed her eyes.

"Tell me again, Tarrion…. Is this real?"

"Yes… all of it, is real." he answered.

He pushed her up, making her sit on his lap, and he gave her a soft and playful bite in her neck. Serana wrapped her arms around him again and moaned.

After a while they stood up, but still they did not let go of each other. Tarrion still held Serana pressed against him and she looked up at him with a smile.

"We should have done this before…" Tarrion said.

"No…" and Serana shook her head. "if we had… we wouldn't have had this moment."

Tarrion agreed, and for a moment he wanted to stay here with Serana. To forget about everything else, because everything he needed, was now in his arms. Serana felt the same, and pressed herself against Tarrion. But they both knew that they had to continue. They knew that they couldn't stay, and they let each other go and looked around for the draw knife.

In the middle of the hot spring, Tarrion saw a small statue. It was round and engraved with runes and figurines, and there was a small pedestal made in the centre of it. On the pedestal he saw a strange knife, with two handles, and with a curved blade. He grabbed it and held it up. Both of the handles and the blade were engraved with figurines.

"I guess this is what we're looking for."

"Yes it is." Serana said. "My mother had a similar one, to scrape fungus and mold off the trees. That one's far nicer though. Almost ceremonial. I guess we just need to scrape some bark from one of those Canticle trees."

Tarrion walked up to one of the nearby trees that was crooked and scraped off some of the bark. A large piece came off, and he smelled a power scent coming from the tree and the bark.

"Wow." he said as he grabbed the bark. "That is some powerful smell."

The inside of the bark was very light brown, almost white, and it was dripping with sap. He grabbed it and not a moment later a large moth flew around him. Then another moth flew past his ear, and another one.

"I see those moths like that bark as much as Dexion said they would." Serana said as more moths gathered around Tarrion. "Look at them, they've definitely taking a liking to you."

In less than no time, Tarrion was surrounded by countless moths. He could hear their wings flap around him and they landed on his hands to suck the sap from the bark.

"Damn these moths…. They're everywhere."

Serana had to laugh as she saw Tarrion struggle to keep himself from waving his hands around to get rid of the moths.

"They really seem to like you." she said smiling. "I guess we could have expected this. 'Moth Priests'… moths… they are related in some way….. and unless my vision is playing tricks, you're starting to… glow."

Tarrion saw that the air around him, indeed started to look like it was lighting up, and he felt different as well. He felt a warm feeling flow through him.

After a few moments, the moths started to fly away. The bark was completely dry and now looked almost dead. Tarrion saw the moths leave one by one, until the last one started to fly right in front of him. It flew so close to him that Tarrion had to look cross-eyed to see it, and the light around him did not fade. The last moth left and Tarrion stood next to the statue, and waited for something to happen.

"Alright…. Now what?"

"I don't know. Did it work? Do you… feel different?"

Tarrion thought for a moment, but he could not say that he felt any different. The warmth that he felt before was gone, but he knew there was only one way to find out if it worked.

"I have no idea if it worked, but I do know how to find out."

He grabbed the Elder Scroll and held it in front of him.

"Here goes nothing." and he pulled out the roll of parchment.

A blinding light came from the parchment, and Tarrion was stunned. Unable to move he stared at nothing and saw how small lines appeared in front of him, and connected with each other. A voice echoed through his head, and it shouted to him.

 _The Tyranny of the Sun is almost near, the Power of Aetherius draws close._

 _The Bow of Auriel Akatosh shall be wielded, bringing death wherever it goes._

 _With darkened Skies or flaring Sun, how the course of history may go._

 _It's power shall open the way, to the vanquishing of every foe._

 _The Wolf and Ram, North and West, guard it from all the brave._

 _The ancient Elves, of mountains cold, guard it, in Darkfall cave._

Tarrion saw how the lines unfolded in a map, and he saw the banners of Solitude and Markarth shining red. Then another small rune appeared, to the north of Markarth and to the West of Solitude, near the slopes of the mountains. His vision flared and faded, and then ended.

"Tarrion? Tarrion! Talk to me!"

Tarrion opened his eyes and saw Serana's face hovering over him, with a terrified look. she tapped him on his cheek to wake him up. Tarrion had not realized that he had fallen on his back, and he grabbed Serana's hand to stop her from tapping his face.

"Uuugh, that was weird."

He pulled himself up and shook his head to wake himself.

"Are you alright?" Serana asked, and he could hear the concern in her voice. "You fainted as soon as you opened the Scroll. You went as white as the snow."

Tarrion still felt a little woozy, but he was able to stand up and he grabbed the statue to retain his balance.

"That felt strange."

"I could see it in your eyes…. You looked like you were a thousand leagues away. But… did you learn anything? Do you know where we can find Auriel's Bow?"

"Yes… yes. The Scroll gave me it's exact location. It's in a cave called 'Darkfall Cave'."

Serana seemed relieved to see that Tarrion was alright, and to hear that they knew where to find the bow.

"Good, then let's go. We should get there before my father has a change to track us down."

"Agreed."

And thus they left Ancestor Glade. Tarrion placed the draw knife back on its pedestal, since it would be of no further use to them, and he threw the bark away. After Tarrion put his gauntlets back on, and Serana wrapped her cloak around her shoulders, they climbed the steps again to the exit, but before they left the large grove they turned around one last time. Neither of them knew if they would ever return to this place, and so they took one last, long look. They stood there, overlooking the grove, for only a few moments, and yet it seemed like an eternity for them.

"Being out here with you… it is exactly how I imagined adventuring would be."

Tarrion pulled Serana close to him.

"It sounds like you were a young romantic."

"I was."

And before they left, they shared a long kiss. She ran her hands through his hair, and he gently caressed her back. And Serana's heart grew under this newfound love, and the world changed for her. After a long time, countless years of being a Vampire, she saw that the world was alive, and so was she.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

Soooo…. The two of them finally gave in to their feelings. This was a moments that a bunch of you were waiting for, so I hope it lived up to the expectations. True, they didn't even make it to second base, but I have no intention of doing that just yet. This is a 'Romance story' not a porn, so… not yet. I want to do something with that moment as well, and that will take a bit. I hope this is enough for now.

No other languages used.

(As always) PPS: I am Dutch (from the Netherlands) so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammer, please let me know.


	15. Touching the Sky 2

Touching the Sky part 2

Serana and Tarrion left Ancestor glade, with a better feeling than when they entered it. They now knew where to find Auriel's Bow, Serana felt more at ease because she knew that prophecies are only possible futures, and Tarrion had regained all of his strength after their lengthy trip through the Soul Cairn. It had weakened him more than he had thought, but now he felt strong again.

But more than that, they felt their love for each other. Serana had thought that she would never find anything like it again. That she was dead inside, and the feelings like love were forever gone. But now, as held Tarrion's hand as he helped her down the log, she felt a deep and powerful warmth inside of her, and it made everything brighter. For the first time in a long time, she looked forward to the future, knowing that there would be someone to share it with her.

And Tarrion felt the same for her. He knew that there was no-one in Tamriel he would rather be with, and that he would do anything for her. Tarrion had done great deeds, and helped many others. He saved countless, and killed more. But now there was someone that helped him, more than anyone has ever helped him, and what he now felt for Serana, was something he could not describe.

They left the small cavern and stepped out into the open air, and Tarrion saw that the sun was still high, although clouds blocked its rays. But he did not pay attention to the sky, but to what was right in front of him.

He saw both their horses lying dead on the ground, and six Vampires surrounded them before either of them could so much as blink. Two large gargoyles dropped down from the mountainside and blocked the passage back to Ancestor Glade. All of their opponents looked fiercely at them, with their swords in their hands, and their eyes glowing with hatred.

"Ah, finally." a voice said, and another Vampire walked from behind a tree. "I was wondering why it took so long."

Serana could not believe her eyes. "Orthjolf?"

"Ah… so you do remember who we are?" Orthjolf said sarcastically. "We thought you had forgotten who we are… who you are."

"Why are you here?"

"Oh, don't play coy Serana. You know full well why we are here. We are here for the prophecy. We are here to take you back to your father."

"You will not take her anywhere!" Tarrion said, and he drew his sword.

"Silence, mortal! You are the last here that should speak! Our lord Harkon offered you his blood, let you live…. And this is how you repay him? By taking his daughter away, and plotting against him? I knew mortals were ungrateful, but you are exceptional."

"You know why I left, Orthjolf." Serana interrupted him. "This prophecy cannot come true… Harkon must be stopped."

"We know what you think, Serana. But you are mistaken when you think that we give a damn! Lord Harkon is willing to forgive you for what you did at Forebear's Holdout… for killing Malkus… for what you have done so far."

Orthjolf had stayed calm so far. He simply walked behind the other Vampires and stared at Tarrion, ready to react as soon as he would make a move.

"You have a choice to make, Serana." Orthjolf continued. "Step away from the mortal, and be welcomed back…. Or be dragged to your father, and see the mortal butchered before your eyes."

Serana sighed. Tarrion saw no anger in her, only grief. He, on the other hand, was trembling with rage. Orthjolf calmly stated that Serana would be brought to her father, but Tarrion understood that she would be tortured, and that made him angrier than ever.

"Orthjolf, please. Leave now… don't stand in our way." Serana said as she pulled her dagger.

"I see… in chains it is then."

Tarrion had enough of it, and he saw that Orthjolf had no intention of letting Tarrion live. He took a deep breath and Shouted.

TIID KLO UL

Time slowed further than ever, and Tarrion charged at the Vampires. He was now faster than all of them, and he drove his sword through their hearts, or decapitated them. He rammed his sword through the chest of one of the gargoyles, grabbed the other's neck and snapped it, pulled the sword out of the chest of the first one, and threw it at the last remaining Vampire that now had a terrified expression on her face. The sword went through her and came out her spine. When the Shout finally wore off, all the bodies fell to the ground at the same time, and Orthjolf stood alone, with an enraged, and fully powered, Tarrion staring at him, and it looked like his eyes were glowing with fury.

Orthjolf turned around and ran off the mountain. He was much faster than Tarrion, and he was now far below him, but Tarrion ran to the edge of the plateau and jumped.

"Tarrion!" Serana screamed, but he disappeared over the edge and fell to the ground below him.

FEIM

His body became transparent and he looked like a wraith as he became ethereal through the Shout's power. He landed in front of a fleeing Orthjolf, who stumbled and tripped as he saw how Tarrion made a fifty foot drop and stood up like nothing happened. He drew his sword but Tarrion Shouted again.

ZUN

Orthjolf's sword flew out of his hand and before he could react Tarrion grabbed him by his throat. The Shout had worn off and Serana came running down the path.

"Now give me one good reason why I shouldn't light your skull up!"

"Because I ask you not to."

Tarrion looked at Serana. She had no anger or hate in her eyes, just something Tarrion did not understand.

"Let him go, Tarrion…. Let him go."

Tarrion preferred to snap Orthjolf's neck, but instead he sighed and let Orthjolf go. Orthjolf jumped up and ran as fast as he could. Tarrion looked how he disappeared in the distance, and he felt himself relax. The rage he felt was slowly ebbing away.

"Thank you." Serana said and she grabbed his hand. "Thank you for not killing him."

"I just don't understand why." Tarrion said.

"I don't know either…. Maybe… maybe others will now see that we just want to stop the prophecy. We just want to stop Harkon, and maybe they will now think twice before following him… but…"

Serana sighed.

"Maybe I made a mistake now…"

Tarrion shook his head.

"What will happen, happens. We have given them a choice now."

Serana held his hand tighter, and they made sure Orthjolf was long gone before they continued. They now had to travel on foot, and they knew it would be a long trip. Tarrion had the location of Darkfall Cave, and he knew it was in the westernmost end of Haafingar. They decided to first go to Falkreath and buy a new pair of horses.

 _-Haafingar-_

After a long and tiresome journey they finally reached Haafingar Hold. They had to make the entire journey on foot, since there were no horses for sale in Falkreath. They had decided to keep east of the Reach, where the roads were safest, since the Forsworn still made the Reach a dangerous place.

"Are we there yet?"

"Almost there…"

"You said the exact same... when we passed Dragon Bridge."

"I know… because you asked the exact same back then."

"Fair enough."

"When we pass the Orc Stronghold… it is only a bit further."

They passed the Orc Stronghold Mor Khazgur a bit later, and Tarrion asked if they knew of a cave nearby.

"You mean a very dark cave? Yes we know of one." was the answer. Borgakh stood on the palisade as a lookout. "We do no enter it, because it is said to be cursed. No one can enter it, because it is far too dark, and hidden dangers lie everywhere."

"Can you point us in the right direction?" Serana asked.

"Yes, but I do not advise to enter it."

Borgakh did give them directions to the cave, but she did not lead them to it. She was not allowed to leave the stronghold, but it did not take long for Tarrion and Serana to find the cave. It was nothing more than a dark hole in the mountainside, and it looked like there was no light present there.

"Well… she did not lie when she said it was dark here."

"Don't worry. I can see in there perfectly." Serana said and she walked into the cave. Tarrion followed her and was surrounded by darkness.

Tarrion understood why this cave was called 'Darkfall Cave', because it truly was dark in there. Tarrion could not see a thing, and Serana had to grab his hand and lead him like he was blind. He kicked many loose stones and stumbled many times before he had enough of it. He cast Candlelight and a small orb of light hovered above them.

"Wow! Bright!"

Serana covered her eyes.

"Sorry… I should have warned you."

The orb of light lit the dark corridors with a pale, blue light and Tarrion was able to move around without tripping every few feet. In the light of the Candlelight spell, Tarrion saw that there was something different about the cave. The tunnel walls were smooth, but the ground was covered with stones. But besides that, the light could not shine any further than a few metres ahead. The darkness was so intense that even Serana could not see more than ten metres.

After a few turns and corridors, they came across a small cavern with a rope bridge. It was old and looked mostly rotten, but it held them and they reached the other end without breaking it.

"This is a dead end."

Serana stopped and looked around. Tarrion could not see as much as she could but he could see that the walls now surrounded them, and a few small ore veins were slightly visible in the light of the Candlelight spell.

"Are you sure?" he asked her. "Did we miss a pathway?"

"Not that I saw… but this is definitely a dead end. There is no pathway, no corridor… nothing."

"Maybe a hidden lever?"

"No… nothing. The walls are smooth and there are no torches, or pull chains."

Serana looked around one last time, and then turned around.

"Let's go back… maybe we did miss something."

They both left and returned to the previous corridors and crossed the bridge.

As soon as they reached the centre of the bridge, they heard a rope snap and before either of them could react, the bridge shook, the ropes snapped, the wooden planks broke and they both fell to the darkness below.

It was a short fall and Tarrion was terrified by it. While Serana could still see in the dark, he could not see anything, as the Candlelight spell had worn off, and he was again surrounded by darkness. Before he reached it, he could hear water flow below him and not a second later, he plummeted into a dark, underground river and was swept away. His head hit a few rocks, his knee scraped the rocky bottom of the river, and he tumbled head over heels through the darkness. He did not know which way was up, or which way he was going. It all felt like a blur and he was still not able to surface and breath. He felt his lungs getting wet, and suddenly the water disappeared and Tarrion fell through the air again. He breathed in the cold cave air, and in a flash he saw countless pale eyes staring at him, before he fell into the river once again and was swept further. His back hit a rock and while is armour blocked most of the impact, he still shouted in pain, only to feel how the cold water entered his mouth.

Then, suddenly, he felt the rocky ground under him and tumbled over a ledge. He fell on the hard, wet rocks below and couched up a splash of water. He heard a loud thump next to him and he saw two red, glowing eyes. Serana had fallen next to him and coughed.

"Sp… spiders!" she coughed and Tarrion turned around and saw an army of eyes charge at them.

He cast a powerful fire spell, and for a moment the cavern was lit up. Tarrion saw seven large Frostbite Spiders running at them, only for two of them to be incinerated. Two charged at Serana, but they were impaled by large Ice Spears and fell motionless on the ground. A third one jumped at Tarrion, but he shouted and the spider was frozen solid and when it hit the ground, it fell in pieces. The two that remained saw that they could not win, and ran back whence they came.

"That hurt!" Tarrion stretched and rubbed his head. He felt how warm blood dripped from his scalp. "Damn… you alright?"

"Yes… I'm fine." he heard Serana say. "A few bruises but that is it. You?"

"I scraped my knee and back, but my armour blocked most of the impact. But I think my head is bleeding."

Serana walked up to him and she lowered his head so she could see the wound.

"Yes… a small cut, but nothing serious by the looks of it. It is not really bleeding, just leaking a bit of blood."

She rubbed her fingers over the wound and removed some of the blood, and licked it of her fingers.

"Well… I guess we can't really get out of here without finding another path."

"True." Tarrion said. "Can you see where the path leads? I still can't see anything."

"Yes… this way."

Tarrion followed Serana as best he could. She lead him away from the spiders and through other parts of the caves. The further they went into the growing dark, the stronger the stench of rotting flesh became. After they followed a corridor upward, they came across a small camp, in the middle of the cave. A small torch dimly lit the camp and Tarrion saw parts of human bodies lying around.

Serana looked around to see any clues of what happened.

"These people were…. Why would anyone want to set up camp here?... I wonder what happened to them."

They followed another pathway that lead further down, and after another few left and right turns, they came across a large cavern. The stench of blood and death was thick and it sounded like there were Trolls about, but Serana lead him away from the Trolls to the other end of the cavern. There Tarrion finally saw light.

At first he thought it was daylight, but when he looked again, he saw that the light came from many candles and a strange altar. A small statue of a sun on a pedestal stood upon the altar, and it seemed as if the sun glowed and bathed the area in a warm light. There was also a small structure, like a dome, with the same statue on top of it, made in a way that Tarrion had not seen before.

"Come forward… You have nothing to fear here." An elf appeared from the shadows, but he was unlike any elf Tarrion or Serana had ever seen before.

He was clad in a strange white armour, and his skin was just as white. He had the same face as a High Elf, though it was clear he was not a High Elf. His hair was white, and he had a mace strapped to his belt.

"Who are you?" Serana asked.

"I am Knight-Paladin Gelebor, and I welcome you to the Great Chantry of Auriel."

"This is a chantry to Auriel?" Tarrion asked.

"Auriel… Auri-El… Alkosh, Akatosh. The sovereign of the Snow Elves has many names."

Serana and Tarrion looked at each other, then back at Gelebor.

"Snow Elf?" they asked at the same time.

"You're a Falmer?" Tarrion continued.

Gelebor sighed. "I prefer Snow Elf. The name Falmer holds a negative meaning to all. Those twisted creatures you call 'Falmer', I call the 'Betrayed'. But I know that you have not come here to debate history… you have come here for Auriel's Bow, have you not?"

"How do you know?"

"For thousands of years I have guarded this chantry as it's sentinel. The only reason why travellers have come here, is because of Auriel's Bow, and every time I ask them for their assistance. It has been like this for so long, I cannot imagine another way anymore."

"You require our assistance?" Serana asked. "With what?"

"Yes… I need you to kill Arch-Curate Vyrthur… my brother."

"Kill your brother?" Tarrion asked, and he noticed how Gelebor stayed calm when he asked it, like it meant nothing to him. "Why?"

Gelebor sighed again. "The kinship between us is gone… I don't know what happened to him, but he is no longer the same… It was the Betrayed, they did… something to him. I just don't understand why Auri-El would allow this to happen."

"What have the Betrayed done?"

"They swept into the Chantry and began killing everyone without mercy, without pause. I lead a small group of paladins… but we were no match for the Betrayed's sheer numbers. They breached the Inner Sanctum, where I believe they corrupted Vyrthur."

"Then… how do you know he is still alive?" Serana asked.

"I know it, because I have seen him. He doesn't seem under any duress or in pain…. He just… stands there, as if waiting. I cannot leave the wayshrines… that would be a violation to my sacred duty to the Chantry of Auriel, and a direct assault on the Betrayed, would only lead to my death."

"You mentioned wayshrines?" Serana asked.

"Yes… let me show you." and Gelebor lead them to the dome-like structure with the statue of a sun on top of it.

He stepped up to it and cast a small spell. The sun on top of the structure glowed brightly and suddenly the entire dome began to quake. Slowly the structure became taller, and it looked like it raised from the ground, until a large wayshrine had appeared. It had a six sides, with one of them being the entryway and a large basin was in the centre of it.

"So this is Snow Elf magic." Serana said as she walked up to the shrine. "Incredible."

Gelebor began explaining. "This structure is known as a 'wayshrine'. They were used for meditation and for transport, when the Chantry was a place of peace and enlightenment. Prelates of these shrines were charged with teaching the mantras of Auriel to our initiates."

Serana seemed intrigued by this.

"What does that basin in the centre signify?" and Gelebor seemed delighted to explain. Like he once again was able to fulfil his duties he was charged to do.

"Once the initiate completed his mantras, he'd dip a ceremonial ewer into the basin at the wayshrine's centre, and then proceed to the next wayshrine."

"So these initiates had to lug around a heavy pitcher of water? Marvellous… for how long would they have to do that?"

"Well, once the initiate's entire enlightenment was complete, he'd bring the ewer to the Chantry's Inner Sanctum. Pouring the contents of the ewer into the sacred basin in the Inner Sanctum would allow him to enter, for an audience with the Arch-Curate himself."

"All that, just do end up dumping it out?.. That doesn't make sense to me."

"It's symbolic… I don't expect you to understand."

"So let me get this straight…" Tarrion said. "We need to do all that nonsense to get into the temple, kill your brother and claim Auriel's Bow?"

Gelebor sighed and nodded. "I know how it all sounds… but if there would be another way, I would have done it long ago."

He walked back to the altar and grabbed a ceremonial ewer and gave that to Tarrion.

"The only way to get to the Inner Sanctum is to follow into the initiate's footsteps, and travel from wayshrine to wayshrine. The first lay at the end of Darkfall Passage, a place that signifies the absence of enlightenment."

"So how many of these wayshrines are there?" Serana asked.

"There are five in total, spread far apart across the Chantry, but it is not only caves. The Chantry encompasses more than just a few caves, but you'll see that soon enough. When you reach a wayshrine there should be a prelate tending to it. They will allow you to draw the waters from the basin at the centre, as if you have been enlightened."

"So can these prelates help us?"

"I'm afraid not." Gelebor answered. "The prelates were butchered when the Betrayed swept across the Chantry, but through the grace of Auriel, they were restored to continue their duties. They are ghosts of what they once were, and will not respond to you in any way, other than thinking you have come to be enlightened. They think the Chantry is still a place of worship, and will think that you are an initiate."

"So they cannot help us in finding the next wayshrine?"

"The wayshrines themselves are not that difficult to find. Just follow the path, and look around, and you will find them. I'm afraid I cannot help you with anything else, other than grant you my hopes for a safe journey."

Gelebor returned to the altar and kneeled before it. Serana looked at Tarrion and they both thought the same.

'Another long dungeon'

They entered the wayshrine and saw that a strange portal had opened, and they saw that it lead to a dark cave.

"Great." Tarrion said. "Another long walk through the dark."

"Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark." Serana teased him, and Tarrion chuckled

"No, of course not. I have you here."

And he grabbed her hand as they stepped through the portal.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

And so they now have to travel through Darkfall Passage. Past all those bloody falmer… you have no idea how much I hate that part of the questline. Too many falmer, way too dark, you can't see for shit.

But that is their problem for the time being, and we have Serana. She can see in the dark and now they have an excuse to hold hands ;)

Also, speaking of holding hands, i will have the romance a bit on hold for now. They have more important stuff to do right now, plus, nobody wants two lovebirds constantly making googly eyes at each other, being overly in love... But don't worry, the romance will recurface later.

Dragon Language used:

 _Tiid Klo Ul: Time Sand Eternety (from the Slow Time Shout)_

 _Feim: Fade (From the Become Ethereal Shout)_

 _Zun: Weapon (From the Disarm Shout)_

 **Characters:**

 **Borgakh:** Young She-Orc, from the Mul Khazgur Stronghold. She can give you a quick quest called 'The ForgeMasters Fingers'.

 **Orthjolf:** Nord Vampire, constantly at odds with Vingalmo. Both vying for Harkon's throne. I put him here for shits and giggles. If you side with the Vampires, you have to obtain the 'Bloodstone Chalice'. He then has a plot to kill you, so I thought it would be fun to have that part now.

 **Knight-Paladin Gelebor:** One of two remaining Snow Elves. Brother to Arch-Curate Vyrthur. Tending the Wayshrines, not doing much… just hanging around. Probably having some 'alone-time' all day long…. What? What else is he going to do?

 **Arch-Curate Vyrthur:** One of the two remaining Snow Elves. Brother to Knight-Paladin Gelebor. He pops up in one of the next chapters. No idea what he is doing with his time.

PPS: I am Dutch (from the Netherlands) so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please let me know.


	16. Touching the Sky 3

Touching the Sky part 3

Serana guided the both of them through the dark passages and corridors of Darkfall Passage. The only light that Tarrion could see in these black hallways were strange flowers and some fungus. The fungus glowed with a slight, pale light, and was not enough for Tarrion to see where he was going. The flowers glowed with a blue light, but as soon as either of them would near these flowers, they would retract into the rock and stop glowing.

After a long while they found small signs that they were not alone. Serana stopped and held Tarrion back and pointed to something that Tarrion could not see.

"Watch out. There is a trap here."

She guided him carefully over the tripwire before they continued. Serana now had to keep her eyes forward and on the ground, because more traps were ahead, and they got trickier as they continued. At first they were only on the ground, but later also on the walls and even the ceiling on some points. It looked like the traps were made out of some strange claws, that looked like insect claws. Serana had not seen them before, but Tarrion had. He knew it meant that they were getting closer to a Falmer settlement.

"I start to feel bad for these initiates that had to go through this place." Tarrion said silently.

"How so?"

"They had to go through this place, not being able to see anything, and past all these Falmer? I thought enlightenment would be peaceful."

"Ha… maybe…. I guess that depends on which deity you worship."

"True enough… but this is Auriel, not a Daedra like Mehrunes Dagon…. You would think that this… 'path to enlightenment'… would at least be safe."

"True," Serana said. "but this…."

She stopped and held Tarrion back.

"Did you hear that?"

Tarrion listened if he could hear something, but he could not. He breathed deeply through his nose.

"No… but I can smell it."

A stinking smell of rot and slime had filled the cave and even Serana smelled it.

"We're getting closer to the Falmer." Tarrion said and he prepared himself. "Be ready. I cannot see them, so you might have to point them out for me."

Serana nodded and led Tarrion on, and after a few turns they came across a large cavern. They could hear a small waterfall and Tarrion saw the slight glow from many fungi spread out across the cavern. Large huts made out of the same material as the traps stood spread out, with small fires burning in them. Tarrion saw a shadow appear from one of the huts, and it turned to them. The shadow cried out and Serana fired an Ice-spear, which hit the Falmer square in the eye. Another five Falmer jumped out of their huts, and charged at Tarrion and Serana, who now fired Ice-spears and Fireballs. The cavern shook and rumbled under the power of the spells that the two of them fired at the onrushing Falmer, because more poured out of holes in the walls, and from hidden pathways, till the ground was black with their blood.

Tarrion could see the Falmer approaching, because in the light of the Fireballs and Incinerates he could see his next target. Serana still called out where the Falmer were, and impaled most of them with large Ice-spears.

After a few last Fireballs and Ice-spears the last of the Falmer dropped on the ground. Tarrion did not count how many lay dead on the ground, but he guessed there were more than fifteen.

"Done and done." Serana panted. "I guess that's the last of them."

"Ha." Tarrion laughed sarcastically. "Not likely. These damn things are like flies… no matter how many you kill. We will find more of them in a bit… no doubt about it."

"Then I think we should move… the entire cave now knows we're here."

"Agreed."

The two of them moved on and Tarrion followed Serana as best he could. The paths had become flatter and free of loose rocks. Walking had gotten easier for them both, and they now walked next to each other, Tarrion holding Serana's hand because he still could not see.

The path took a turn right, left, another left, up, down, across a small chasm with a large waterfall and then left again, until Tarrion no longer kept track. They encountered more small Falmer settlements, but these were abandoned, something that Tarrion did not trust. He had a feeling that the Falmer were waiting for them, laying in ambush.

But this turned out not to be true. After they left a last small settlement, the path curved around a large glowing rock, and for a moment Tarrion could see what was around him.

Small fungus grew on the walls, and even a bit of green moss was visible. On the ground, next to the glowing rock, Tarrion saw small crystals that reflected the light from the rock with a pale reflection. The ceiling was too high to see, but Tarrion thought it would be six metres above them. The ground was now no longer free of rocks, like it was not used often, and a moment later, they came across a dead end.

"Dead end?" Serana asked herself.

"Maybe we missed a pathway?"

"No I don't think so. We just…. Ah! I see it."

She turned around and walked to something Tarrion could not see.

"What is it?"

"Hmm… pull-chains and traps…. I think one of these levers will open a passageway."

"Can you see which lever to pull?"

"…. No…. but I think it is this one…. But be careful, whatever is on the other side of this… the Falmer wanted to keep it there."

Serana hesitated before she pulled the lever, but it turned out to be the right one. A deep rumble echoed through the cavern as a large part of the wall sunk into the ground.

Immediately a loud roar echoed through the caves and Tarrion turned around. The cave that had appeared behind the secret hallway was dimly lit by something that he could not see yet, but in the large opening now stood a large, black sabrecat. It roared again and jumped at Tarrion, who was able to duck just in time. It landed on the ground and clawed at Serana. She dodged away and fired an Ice-spear at the beast. It hit the sabrecat in one of the hind paws when Tarrion drew his sword and thrusted it through the beasts head. It roared again and fell limp to the ground.

"What kind of sabrecat is this?" Tarrion asked himself.

"No idea." Serana answered. "I've never seen one like this before either."

Tarrion pulled his sword out of the beasts head and cleaned it on its fur before he sheathed it.

"We should be careful, there might be more."

They passed through the passage and entered another large open cavern, and, not for the first or last time, they saw a breath-taking sight.

A vast cavern, deeper and higher than most they had seen thus far, was before them. Below a river flowed between a small beach and the high walls. Several natural rock formations formed a path that lead up and down, left and right. The entire area was lit by enormous mushrooms, some of them over twenty feet high, that glowed with a pale, blue light, yet it looked like the entire cavern bathed in a golden light.

While Serana and Tarrion walked down the pathways they saw a small structure at the other end with a blue figure next to it.

"There." Tarrion said, and he pointed at the structure. "I think that is the first wayshrine."

Serana was too occupied to notice it. She looked around and sighed in awe. Further below them they saw a strange type of deer walk around and drink from the river. The deer had the same black skin as the sabrecat they encountered, but now they also saw light stripes and spots on its back, and unless their eyes were mistaken, it looked like these stripes and spots glowed slightly.

"This place is beautiful." Serana whispered to herself.

Tarrion smiled and walked next to her, gently grabbing her hand as they followed the path further up.

Before they approached the spectral figure that was standing next to the wayshrine, because they saw that it was indeed a ghost, Serana turned around and looked out over the cavern.

"This is the kind of thing I've been wanting to see… it… it makes everything else worth it."

Tarrion walked up behind her and gave her a quick kiss on her head.

"Come on… I'm sure we will see other sights like this. We should keep moving."

"I know, but…. Yes, you're right."

Serana tore her gaze from the cavern and walked with Tarrion to the wayshrine. The ghostly prelate stood there motionless, but when Tarrion stood before him he moved and spoke.

"You have arrived at the Wayshrine of Illumination, initiate. Are you prepared to honour the Mantras of Auriel, and fill your vessel with His enlightenment?"

"Yes." Tarrion simply said.

"Then behold Auriel's gift my child. May it light your path as you seek tranquillity within the Inner Sanctum."

The prelate turned around and cast the same spell that Gelebor had cast. The small statue of the sun on top of the wayshrine glowed bright, and then the structure rose up from the ground.

Tarrion saw the same basin standing in the middle of it and he saw that it was filled with clear water. He entered the wayshrine and filled the ewer with some of the water, and another portal appeared on one of the walls.

"Alright…" he said. "That was one… four to go."

"Yes." Serana said as she walked up to him. "Let's hope that we won't have to walk through more dark caves."

"Well, Gelebor did say that the Chantry consisted out of more than caves. Let's hope that this was indeed the last one. I hate not being able to see where I'm going."

They walked through the portal and found themselves in a gloomy lit crevice. It was dark, but not so dark so that Tarrion could not see. They saw no glowing fungus on the walls, and the path was littered with small rocks.

"Dammit." Tarrion said. "It is another cave."

"No, I don't think so." Serana said and she walked ahead. "The air is… fresher here."

Tarrion followed her through the crevice and a bit later they stood in the open air. A small valley appeared before them and they saw more deer and sabrecats with black fur. The trees were tall and pale and a few ruined structures, made out of the same stone as the wayshrines, were scattered over the valley. As they descended down to the valley they saw a few young sabrecats run to a small cave.

The pat was not difficult to follow, for broken stones that indicated a once much travelled path were still visible. They walked under broken, stone arcs and past crumbling pillars, until a few moments later they saw another wayshrine in the distance.

"Let's see what this prelate has to say."

Tarrion nodded and walked up to the spectral elf that stood motionless, but raised his head as soon as Tarrion stood in front of him.

"You have arrived at the Wayshrine of Sight, initiate. Are you prepared to honour the mantras of Auriel, and fill your vessel with His enlightenment?"

"Yes." Tarrion answered.

"Then Auriel bless you child, and may He show you the path to enlightenment."

The prelate cast the small spell and the wayshrine rose from the ground, the same way as the one before this. Tarrion walked in and filled the ewer with a bit more water from the basin.

Tarrion expected another portal to open, but this time it did not happen. He walked back and asked the prelate where the next wayshrine was.

"Follow the path through that pass, my child. There you will find the next wayshrines."

And so the two companions followed the path a bit back and then up a mountain pass. Serana looked around and it was clear that she found the valley beautiful, but Tarrion was lost in thought. After a while Serana noticed this.

"Are you alright?"

Tarrion did not answer at first. He was so occupied with his thoughts he did not even hear Serana.

"Tarrion?" she asked and she grabbed his hand. "Are you alright?"

"Hmm?... oh, yes…. Sorry." he sighed. "I was… lost in thought."

"Clearly… but what were you thinking about?"

"I'm not sure…. It's just…. I find it… strange and frightening even, that Gelebor is willing to give us the Bow so easily."

"'Easily'?... We do have to go past all these wayshrines, ánd kill his brother. I don't call that easily. But as long as we can get this Vyrthur out of the sanctum, I think they'll be happy to hand it over."

"True… but did you notice how he did not ask any questions, as for what we want to do with the Bow? He must have noticed that you are a Vampire, and yet he promised to give us the Bow, no questions asked…. And that frightens me."

Serana had a confused frown on her face. "Why?"

"Well… what if one of Harkon's minions showed up… or Harkons himself?"

Serana's frown disappeared and she seemed to agree with Tarrion's concern, and she sighed.

"Yea…. You're right. I guess we're lucky that someone else did not show up."

"Others have showed up." Tarrion reminded her. "Gelebor already said that others have tried to claim the bow, 'so many times that I cannot imagine it another way'…. I think we are extremely lucky that no-one has succeeded thus far."

Serana remembered and she looked ahead, at the top of the mountain pass. It was a small pass and the mountains were not high, yet the slopes were covered with snow. As they climbed higher, they felt the air growing colder.

An unsettling sound was heard, and the two looked up. Several large Frostbite spiders climbed down from the rocky walls and charged at them.

"More spiders?!" Serana said. "I liked the ones at home better."

"I liked them as much as I like these!" Tarrion yelled as he incinerated one of the spiders.

The spiders were quickly disposed of, and green slime now covered the rocks around them. Tarrion incinerated a few, while Serana impaled others with Ice-Spears. A few fled, back to the holes whence they came, but they posed no threat. But when Tarrion turned around, he heard Serana yell.

"Watch out! Behind you!"

Tarrion turned around and saw a flash of black and teeth, as a large sabrecat jumped on him and missed his face by an inch. Through the power of the jump, Tarrion fell backwards with the beast on top of him, clawing and biting at him. Tarrion held him at bay with nothing but his hands, until he grabbed the beast by its maws. The sharp teeth sunk into his hands, but Tarrion did not let go, and with a powerful surge, he ripped the mouth open. The lower jaw was ripped from the head, and the sabrecat fell dead on the ground.

"Tarrion! Are you alright?"

Serana came running and laid her hands on his shoulders as Tarrion got up.

"Yes… ach!"

He gritted his teeth, and he felt his hands burn. Warm blood flowed out of the deep wounds, and he saw the deep cuts the teeth made. He couldn't move his left hand and his right hand was not much better.

"Ach!... can you… heal this?" Tarrion said as he felt his arms tremble.

Serana cast a small healing spell and Tarrion felt the pain dull a bit.

"I.. I'm sorry… I can't do much more." she stammered, but Tarrion shook his head. He cast a different, more powerful healing spell, and the wounds closed.

"Don't worry about me. I've survived worse than this."

Serana grabbed his hands and kissed them, and licked the blood from this fingers. Tarrion laughed.

"I am bleeding here, and you can only think about the fact that you're hungry?"

She smiled and sucked the last bit of blood from his hands.

"Would you pass an opportunity like this if you were me?"

"Probably not."

The snow around them had become red with blood from both Tarrion and the sabrecat. They left the beast lie there and continued to follow the pass.

After only a few moments, they reached the highest point and when the path descended again they saw a massive valley lie in front of them.

The valley was at least a mile wide, and half as long. They saw how the path descended and a small structure was at the end of the pass. They saw how the path lead upward toward a large frozen lake and, unless Tarrion was mistaken, he saw a Word Wall, in the middle of the lake. Not far from the lake, another small structure was build, and they saw it was another wayshrine. High mountains surrounded the valley and they saw how a large structure was built on the mountain side, to the far end of the valley.

"I think that is where we have to go." Serana said.

"I think so too, but I don't see a pathway to it."

"That must mean there is a different path to it. Possibly a cave of some sort."

"Oh, no. Not another cave…"

Together they descended the mountain and arrived at another wayshrine. As soon as Tarrion stood in front of the prelate, it started to speak.

"You've arrived at the Wayshrine of Learning, initiate. Are you prepared to honour the mantras of Auriel, and fill your vessel with His enlightenment?"

"Yes"

"Auriel bless you, child. For you are a step closer to the Inner Sanctum, and everlasting wisdom."

The prelate cast a small spell, the statue on top of the structure glowed brightly, and the wayshrine rose from the ground. Tarrion drew from the basin at the centre of it and two portals appeared in the walls.

"I don't think we have to use these portals."

Tarrion turned around and saw Serana gaze at the wayshrine next to the lake.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"The next wayshrine is over there. I think these portals can bring us back to the shrines we've already opened."

Tarrion nodded.

"Then let's go to the next one. After that one, we only have one left. And then we can finally enter the Inner Sanctum."

After a short walk and an even shorter climb they reached the fourth wayshrine, and the prelate tending to it, greeted them with the same words as the previous ones.

"You have arrived at the Wayshrine of Resolution, initiate. Are you prepared to honour the mantras of Auriel, and fill you vessel with His enlightenment?"

"Yes."

"May the enrichment of Auriel strengthen your resolve as you undertake you journey to the Inner Sanctum."

After Tarrion drew from the basin, he left with Serana and continued along the path to find the last Wayshrine.

"Wait… before we go… I want to go to the lake first."

Serana looked at him.

"Why?"

"I think I can see a Word Wall there. I can learn another word from a Shout there."

"What? How? Just by walking up to it?"

Tarrion smiled and explained.

"A Dragonborn can learn Words of Power from dragons, or from others who already know those Words. I've learned several Words of Power from the Greybeards. But I can also learn them from a Word Wall. In every Wall, there is a word embedded… infused almost. And I can learn it from there."

Serana nodded slowly, like she still not understood it entirely.

"Don't worry. It won't take long."

Tarrion followed a different path now that lead to the lake, and he saw that is was frozen solid. The ice was thick enough for him to walk on and he saw that there was indeed a word wall in the middle of the lake. Massive, frozen waterfalls once flowed into the lake, and from the lake down into the lower valley, but now it was all turned to ice. Serana stayed behind as Tarrion walked over the ice and finally reached the Wall and he heard the Word of Power echo through him.

 _Lah… Lah!... LAH._

As soon as Tarrion understood the meaning of it, he heard a loud rumble. He turned around and saw the ice crack, and suddenly it looked like the lake exploded. Tarrion saw it with his own eyes, and yet he had a hard time believing it. Two large Dragons appeared out of the lake and now flew in unison over Tarrion. With a combined breath of fire they unleashed an inferno that melted a part of a waterfall, and massive cracks appeared on the ice. Tarrion drew his sword and followed the twin Dragons as they turned around and flew straight at him, with their mouths wide open, and they roared like the thunder.

The battle between Tarrion and the twin Dragons was a fierce one. Serana helped as much as she could, but she did not have the power to fight a Dragon. But Tarrion did, and he shouted one of the Dragons out of the sky and drove his sword through its throat. The other now roared loud and dove through the ice and disappeared in the lake, only to reappear with a thundering sound, and a breath of fire. Tarrion blocked the stream of flames and cast a powerful Thunderbolt through the Dragon's wings. It roared in pain and landed on the lake. As Tarrion ran toward the downed beast, he grabbed his sword again. The dragon turned around and waited for Tarrion to be close enough. Tarrion ran straight at the Dragon, and right before it breathed fire, Tarrion let himself fall on his back and now slid toward the head of the beast. The Dragon did not expect this and with its neck stretched out, and its belly unprotected, Tarrion raised his sword and cut the Dragon open, from throat to tail. Black blood gushed out of the massive wound and the Dragon fell dead on the ground. Then both bodies incinerated and Tarrion felt himself grow stronger. He saw how the bones glowed in the light of the moon, and a draconic presence drew toward him. The echo of a cry was heard and then silence.

"By the blood…"

Tarrion turned around and saw Serana look at him with a face of awe. He smiled when he saw her.

"Yea… that was something, wasn't it?"

Serana did not say anything, but had a different expression on her face. One that was a combination of awe, and something that could only be described as love, or an uncontrollable lust. Tarrion chuckled again and walked up to her.

"Come on… let's find this last wayshrine."

He took her hand and led her from the lake, back to the path that would lead to the next, and last wayshrine. Serana still had her eyes on Tarrion, and felt something stir deep within her.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

Now, finally this chapter is finished. Sorry it took me as long as it did, but I was busy playing Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. If you know the game, you know it is a very long one. But I'm done with it, and now I can go back to writing again.

But I think I will write a bit slower than before (let's hope not as slow as I did with this chapter), because I also want to focus a bit more on my book. It is long overdue, and I want to finish it.

At the same time I also want to wrap up this part of the story. With that I mean the Dawnguard Questline, because I also want to move on to the next parts of the romance, and the adventures after this. So I think I'll write one chapter a week, hopefully more, but we'll see.

Also, i just found out that i've been writing 'Gelebor' wrong this whole time. It is actually GelebRor. i forgot the R in the middle, but oh well. i'll just continue writing it like this.

Dragon Language Used

 _LAH: Magicka (From the Drain Vitality Shout)_

PPS: I am Dutch (From the Netherlands) so if there are any mistakes with spelling/grammar, please let me know.


	17. Touching the Sky 4

Touching the Sky part 4

"C-c-cold."

"It is a glacier that we're in."

"Yes… m-my point e-exactly."

Tarrion rubbed his hands together to warm them, but to no avail. He quickly decided to charge fire-spells in his hands. This worked, and yet it did not warm the rest of his body, and to use a Flame-cloak did not seem like a good idea.

The two of them walked through a massive glacier, and found a much travelled path past the slippery, icy walls. The night had come to an end, and the early rays of the sun were reflected throughout the caverns, making everything visible.

They saw that the cavern was long, and higher than either of them anticipated. They saw long pathways high above them, and strange bridges connected the one side with the other. They also saw that they were not alone. Many of the Falmer could be seen from where they were, above them and in front of them. it looked like they would have to fight their way through the glacier.

After a short walk, the path went up and over a small cavern, where they had to cross a small bridge. The bridge itself was strong enough to hold them and yet they heard it creak and crack. It looked like it was made out of the same materials as the huts they had seen before. The remains of large insects, along with bone and rope were used.

"Hmm… not the most solid construction. About from what I expected from… creatures like this." Serana remarked.

"It's still impressive that they can make it."

"How so?"

"Well," Tarrion said. "I heard that these Falmer are blind. They can't see a thing, and yet apparently, they can still make bridges and build these… huts."

"Oh, yea. I forgot. Well, in that case, good job."

As they continued through the glacial crevice they encountered a few small Falmer settlements, and also a few lone Falmer. None of them stood a chance against Tarrion or Serana, and they were quickly cast into the abyss below them, for they now walked on the higher paths with a hundred foot drop to their left. Tarrion was still cold, but after a while he felt more accustomed to the cold, whereas Serana was not bothered by the cold in any way. Tarrion assumed this was due to the fact that she was a Vampire. He knew that Vampires thrive in the cold, and dislike the heat of the sun. But he also knew that Serana was different, and that she felt more comfortable than most of her kind, near the warmth of a fire.

Tarrion's breath made small ice-clouds as he walked behind Serana over another small, shaky bridge and for the first time he saw a few structures. He recognized them, as they were made from the same stone as the wayshrines.

"It seems like we're going the right way."

"Agreed." Tarrion said. "I imagine that this 'path to enlightenment' was once an easier path. We now have to deal with Falmer, massive chasms, dark caves…"

"..Not to mention two Dragons…"

"And that, yes…. I wonder what this place used to look like."

"Me too."

It took them longer than expected, but after another few icy corridors they reached the exit, only to find themselves in another large cavern, but luckily for them it was not another cave. On both sides the mountains raised high up and they walked right between two enormous walls or rock and ice. They immediately saw that the chasm was filled with structures that were made by the Falmer. The unmistakable huts and shaky bridges covered the walls and ground, and Serana, with her vampiric vision could see and sense the Falmer walking from hut to hut.

"Get ready." she said. "I think we may be in for some trouble. I can sense the Falmer walking over there, and it looks like there are a lot of them."

Tarrion drew his sword and charged a spell in his left hand. They both now carefully walked amidst the huts and bridges of insect remains. It kept quiet and Tarrion once again felt that they were about to be ambushed.

"Can you see them?" he asked Serana. "Do you know where they are?"

"Yes…" she said. "But they just stay still. They stand ready to attack, but… it looks like they are waiting."

Tarrion sighed and Shouted.

LAAS YAH NIR

His Shout was not a thundering roar, but a quiet whisper, and he felt the presence of his enemies around him. The Shout had revealed the life-force of his enemies around him, and he knew that Serana was right. They were waiting.

A cry rented the silence apart, and out of the huts over a dozen Falmer appeared. They climbed like ants down the mountainous walls or jumped from the bridges down and surrounded the two trespassers. Serana immediately fired two Ice-Spears, but only one of them hit its target. Tarrion fired a powerful Fireball at another two and they staggered and fell dead to the ground.

The rest attacked at once, and more Falmer came crawling down the walls from higher huts, or running from further down the chasm. The one after the other fell, only for one of its comrades to take its place, not caring how many fell. Within a few moments the ground was slick with blood and copses littered the path. Serana was forced to reanimate two dead bodies to help, while Tarrion summoned a large Frost Atronach and incinerated another two of the onrushing Falmer. He drove his sword through the one, and decapitated another, and with a last powerful Chain-Lightning spell, Serana killed the remaining three.

"Let's hope that was the last of them."

Tarrion hoped so too, but he had a feeling it wasn't, but as they continued past the huts and bridges, he saw that it was abandoned. As he looked up he saw a large bridge, different from the ones made by the Falmer. This one was slightly arced and was clearly made of stone.

"I think we have to reach that there." he said, and he pointed up.

"Maybe…" Serana answered. "but how do we get there?"

"The same way we have reached everything thus far; follow the path."

Tarrion was not mistaken in this, and at the end of the chasm, they found another large cave that led upward. It was clear that the Falmer had built here too, but it was now abandoned and not even Serana sensed their presence. At the end of the cave, they saw the last wayshrine. It was surrounded by more buildings built by the Falmer, but these were abandoned as well. A last prelate stood in front of it, and as Tarrion walked up to it, it started to speak.

"You have arrived at the Wayshire of Radience, initiate. Are you prepared to honour the mantras of Auriel, and fill your vessel with His enlightenment?"

"Yes"

"May the blessings of Auriel protect you, as you climb the road to the Inner Sanctum, and final enlightenment."

Just like the prelates before him, he cast a small spell and the wayshrine behind him rose from the ground, and Tarrion drew from the basin at the centre.

Serana had already walked ahead and as Tarrion walked up to her, he saw another breath taking sight.

A large temple-like structure, ruined but still beautiful was built into the mountainside, on the other side of the canyon. The bridge he saw earlier connected the one side with the other, and Tarrion saw a large gate at the end of the road. The temple had large, high windows and was clearly once a place of long forgotten beauty and stories. It was made from the same stone as the wayshrines and the bridge, and it had an ancient and impressive look.

"That… has to be the place." Serana said.

As they walked across the bridge both Tarrion and Serana had their eyes wide open, for they now had a massive view over the canyon below them and the temple before them. At the end of the bridge they climbed the steps and opened the ancient gate, which opened without a single noise.

They entered a large courtyard with an elevated area, flanked by small, winding staircases, that lead to the temple's interior. In the middle of the courtyard, there stood a large statue of a deity. It was made out of gold-like stone, and it had a crown which had flames like the sun. In its hands it held an object which also looked like the sun, and it was covered with white snow.

"That is a statue of Auriel…" Serana remarked. "but it's using the older signs of his power…. This temple must be ancient… the Bow has to be in here."

"Well, let's find out if it is."

They passed the large statue and climbed the winding staircase to the elevated area. There they saw another basin, but this one was empty and had a hole in the centre of it. Over the floor, hewn into the stone, three small gullies were made that connected a few metres away in a sun-shaped basin right in front of a gate. The two assumed it lead to the interior of the temple, and it was locked by a sun-shaped stone.

"I guess I have to pour the ewer into the basin?" Tarrion asked.

"I'd assume so."

Tarrion held the ewer above the basin, and poured the water he collected from the wayshrines in it. The water flowed away through the hole in the middle, and followed the gullies to the sun-shaped basin right in front of the gate to the temple's interior. Not a single drop was left in the basin, or in the gullies after the water had flowed through it, and it filled the last basin to the edge.

When the last drop had flowed away, it started to glow with a slight green light. A small rumble was heard, and a beam of light rose from the water to a large green jewel above them. With another slight rumble, the sun-shaped stone that locked the gate spun around and then split in two. The gate had opened.

Serana sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness we can enter… for a moment I thought of what would happen if it wouldn't be enough, or if we did something wrong."

"Ha." Tarrion laughed. "Then I would have blasted through the gate or the walls. I didn't come all this way to be locked out. But come on… we are nearing our journey's end."

"Yes." Serana sighed. "The end."

They entered a place that looked unlike any other, and yet it was a sight that Tarrion had seen before. The temple's outside reflected the inside, because it was in ruins. Once massive pillars now lay broken and shattered on the ground, and large cracks were in the walls. The ceiling was largely covered with ice, and so were the walls, while the floor was largely covered with rubble. But what was more unsettling, were the Falmer. As soon as they entered the temple they saw several Falmer standing in the temple, but they had an icy blue skin, and stood motionless. As they passed the first of the Falmer, they saw that it stood like a statue, with its hand stretched out and its mouth open. The others stood no different, some with a frozen weapon in their hands, and others like they were overwhelmed.

"These Falmer are…" Serana started. "they're frozen in the ice."

Tarrion saw that she was right. Every last one of the statues were covered with ice. He walked up to one of them and saw that it had a blue potion in its hand.

'A potion of Resist Frost.' he thought. 'Oh, the irony.'

Serana came standing next to him.

"I wonder what happened to them."

"I'm not sure," he answered. "but I doubt they froze because they stood here so long. Someone… or something… must have cast an incredibly powerful freezing spell."

"Gelebor said that he led a small group of paladins against the Falmer."

"I know… but, he said that they were slaughtered. I don't think that they did this."

They decided to leave the frozen Falmer alone and continued through the temple, but every room and hallway they entered was the same as the one before. The floors covered with debris and ice, the walls and ceiling mostly frozen, and dozens of frozen Falmer.

"Hey… wat's that?"

Tarrion turned around and saw Serana looking at a large room to their left. He looked up and saw that a large number of Falmer stood around one other. All of them were frozen, but one of them stood on a small tribune. This Falmer was wearing a strange type of armour that Tarrion had not seen before. But what was the most strange, is that it had a golden shield in its hands.

They both walked up the tribune and looked at the shield.

"This was not made by any Falmer." Serana concluded quickly.

The looked like it was made out of gold, and yet it looked stronger than any metal. The top and bottom parts of the shield were round, and yet it was curved inward in the middle, with two wing-like parts to the sides. A small ray of sunlight shone down from a hole in the ceiling, making it look like the shield glowed. Tarrion grabbed it and pulled it from the frozen hands.

Immediately the Falmer came to life, shattering the ice around him and it swung its sword at Tarrion, who only had enough time to raise the shield. The blow was blocked, and so was the next, because the Falmer was larger than the others, until Tarrion tried to bash back with the shield.

With a powerful bash the Falmer flew backwards and broke its neck on the icy walls. The other Falmer had come to life as well, and now charged at Tarrion and Serana.

They held the Falmer back without too much effort, because they were both more powerful, stronger and faster, and it didn't take long before fifteen Falmer lay dead on the ground.

"You should've stayed frozen!" Serana yelled as she slit the throat of one of her attackers.

Another Falmer attacked her from behind, but Tarrion jumped on it and crushed it beneath the shield, while Serana sunk her fangs in another's neck.

Tarrion had found out that the golden shield stored blocked energy and released it in every bash, and he kept it. He thought it would be useful later on and he hung it on his back.

After another few long hallways and frozen rooms, they reached a large door. The door looked similar to the gates they passed when they entered the temple, and it was engraved with figurines and imagery of Elves.

"I guess this is it." Tarrion said.

"Yes…" Serana sighed. "This is it… Time to claim the bow."

Tarrion saw that there was more to it. That she struggled with her thoughts… like there was something she didn't tell him, but he also saw that asking wouldn't help. And so Tarrion drew his sword and opened the gate.

They entered a massive hall, with several pillars supporting the roof to carry an arced ceiling. The walls were covered with ice and more rubble lay on the ground. Halfway through the hall, they saw an ice-covered throne, on top of several ice-covered steps, and on the throne a pale figure was seated. As soon as Tarrion and Serana entered the hall, the door behind them shut, and they could hear debris falling behind it. They were locked in. As they walked toward the figure on the throne, they saw that dozens of Falmer, frozen in ice, stood around them, behind the pillars, against the walls, next to the large doors, and around the throne. No other room had held so many Falmer, and they both had a bad feeling… like they were in for a difficult fight.

The figure on the throne still did not move, and did not even seem to notice them, but as soon as they reached the lowest steps, it looked up. The pale skin and elf-like face was unmistakable, and they both saw that he was, just like his brother Gelebor, a Snow Elf. He wore the same type of strange armour that Gelebor was wearing when they met him, but it looked like he was wearing a helmet like a crown. White, with a large, red jewel on his forehead. Both Tarrion and Serana looked at the figure, and he seemed to smile.

"Did you really come here expecting to claim Auriel's Bow?"

Vyrthur's voice sounded like he was mocking them, and it echoed through the hall.

"You have done exactly as I predicted… and brought your fetching companion to me!"

Tarrion saw how Serana turned ever paler than before, and a look of surprise and shock appeared on her face.

"Wait… is he… talking about me?"

Vyrthur laughed and stood up, and yelled.

"Which, I am sorry to say, means your usefulness is at an end!"

With a gesture from Vyrthur, a large number of the frozen Falmer jumped to life, an charged at the two. Their eyes were black, and their skin icy pale, and they struck without hesitation or mercy. Even as their companions fell to the ground, they kept attacking, and even if their hands or arms were cut off, they did not seem to notice.

But Tarrion and Serana fought with fury and determination, until the Falmer lay dead around them. Tarrion had incinerated a few and decapitated another, while Serana sliced up another, and drained two more.

Vyrthur did not seemed to be bothered by it and laughed again.

"An impressive display, but a wasted effort… You delay nothing but your own deaths!"

More of the Falmer jumped up and charged at them, and Serana reanimated some of their brothers who already lay dead, and Tarrion summoned a Dremora.

"I smell weakness!" it yelled and with merciless fury, it charged at the onrushing Falmer.

Vyrthur suddenly raised a large part of a crumbled pillar and threw it at another pillar. It cracked and broke and a part of the ceiling dropped down, and Tarrion jumped away.

"Watch out!" Serana shouted as she broke the neck from one of her attackers. "He's pulling down the ceiling!"

"Noticed!" Tarrion shouted back.

He saw three Falmer running in Serana's direction and he Shouted.

FUS RO DAH

The Falmer were shouted away and two of them slammed into the wall, and did not get up, while another was impaled by a large and sharp piece of ice.

"This has gone on long enough!" Vyrthur yelled and with a gesture he summoned a large and powerful Frost Atronach. He raised another piece of debris and shattered another pillar, making the ceiling collapse even more. Tarrion now fought the Atronach Vyrthur had summoned, while Serana fought off three Falmer at once. Thanks to her Vampiric blood, she was faster than all of them and she broke one neck, sliced to others and sunk her fangs in another's neck.

Tarrion ducked under one of the blows of the Atronach and with one powerful punch, he shattered one of its legs. The Atronack fell on top of him, but Tarrion, using his incredible strength, lifted it up and threw it at Vyrthur. It shattered on the steps and it was clear that Vyrthur was surprised and shocked by the strength of both Serana and Tarrion.

"NO! No!.. I won't have you ruin centuries of preparations!"

Vyrthur's voice had become raw and he summoned large pieces of debris and ice around him, until it surrounded him completely.

"Surrender and give us the Bow!" Serana shouted at him.

"DEATH FIRST!"

And with a blast that destroyed the entire hall and threw Tarrion against a pillar, Vyrthur fired the debris and ice.

The pillars shattered and the ceiling collapsed, and Tarrion was buried under large pieces of stone. Serana was able to seek cover from the blast and now jumped away just in time, for a large piece of rock and stone landed where she stood a second ago. Dust and ash filled the air and Serana forced herself on her feet. She looked around and saw Vyrthur run away to the other end of what was left of the hall, to what looked like a balcony. But Tarrion was nowhere to be found.

"Tarrion! Where are you?"

She felt panic come over her. For a few moments she cared for nothing else, and all other thoughts were banished from her mind. She coughed as she breathed in the dusty air. But then she sensed blood. Through her panic she was unable to notice it before, but now she sensed that a living being was covered with rubble, a few metres to her right.

"Tarrion!"

She ran to the pile of rubble and started to remove as many rocks as she could, and after a few moments she heard a moan. Suddenly a large piece of rock was lifted up and Tarrion threw it away.

"Damn!"

He was still unable to stand up, as a large rock covered his legs. Serana helped him remove it and pulled him on his feet.

"Are you alright? Come on we can do this… I know we can."

"Yes.. I'm fine." Tarrion said and he rubbed his shins. "Where is he?"

"He's up there on the balcony. Let's go."

They ran to the balcony, and Tarrion saw Vyrthur standing with his hand on his side. It looked like the spell hurt him as well. The balcony was large and overlooked the valley below, and they could see the large lake with the Word Wall, and the remains of the dragons. An elevated area surrounded a small structure, and Tarrion recognized it as a wayshrine. Two small staircases led up to the elevated area where Vyrthur stood.

Tarrion ran behind Serana and she pulled her dagger as she stood before Vyrthur.

"Enough Vyrthur! Give us the Bow."

Vyrthur looked up and in the light of the sun, Tarrion thought he saw something strange.

"How dare you! I was the Arch-Curate of Auriel, girl! I had the ears of a God!"

"Until the 'Betrayed' corrupted you," Serana said. "yes, we've hear this sad story."

Vyrthur spat on the ground, and his spit was red with blood.

"Gelebor, and his kind, are easily manipulated fools!" and a slight smirk appeared on his face. "Look into my eyes, Serana… you tell me what I am."

Serana's face had an expression of shock, and Tarrion saw the same. Vyrthur's eyes were glowing.

"You… You're a… Vampire?" Serana asked. "But Auriel should have protected you."

Vyrthur again spat on the ground and the words came like venom out of his mouth. "The moment I was infected my one of my own initiates… Auriel turned his back on me! I swore I'd have my revenge… no matter what the cost!"

"You want to take revenge… on a God?" Tarrion asked.

"Auriel himself may have been beyond my reach," Vyrthur continued and his smirk grew. "but his influence on our world wasn't. All I needed was the blood of a Vampire… and his own weapon; Auriel's Bow."

"The blood of a Vampire… Auriel's Bow…."

And it looked like Serana understood it all now.

"It was you?! You created that prophecy?" and Tarrion could see her eyes flare.

"A prophecy that lacked a single, final ingredient." Vyrthur said as he got up and stood in front of Serana with a strange hunger in his eyes. "Since I already had access to the Bow, I only needed that one thing. The blood of a Pure-Blooded Vampire… the Blood of a Daughter of ColdHarbour!"

Tarrion thought he saw Serana's face change, and for the first time, he saw a Vampiric anger in her eyes, something that he had not seen before. She grabbed Vyrthur and lifted him up without any effort, and Tarrion saw that she was much stronger than he anticipated.

"All this time, you are the reason why my family was torn apart by greed and lust for power. You are the reason behind it all!"

Her voice was filled with both anger and grief, now that she found the reason for the suffering of her family.

"All this time, you have been waiting for someone with my blood to come along! Well too bad for you! I intend on keeping it! Let's see if your blood has any power to it!"

Vyrthur pushed Serana away and she let him go, and he summoned another Frost Atronach, but Tarrion shattered this one as quickly as it was summoned. Vyrthur was weakened and stood no change against Tarrion and an enraged Serana. She fought with more speed and fury than Tarrion had ever seen before, and he realized that the anger for her family's suffering now came boiling up. Vyrthur tried to block and dodge Serana's blows, but she was too fast and too strong for him, and she cast him against the balustrade of the balcony. She walked up to him and Tarrion saw the fear in his eyes as she lifted him up, and he knew that his end had come.

"Auriel… forgive me…" he said to the skies.

"Maybe he will," Serana said to him, and her voice was viciously sharp. "but I won't." and she threw him off the balcony, to the valley below. They heard a long cry, and then silence.

Behind them, the wayshrine came to life and was raised from the ground, and they saw a figure walking out. Tarrion recognized him as Gelebor. Serana did not turn around, but looked out over the valley. It was clear that she felt pain, now that she finally knew who was responsible for the pain that was inflicted on her and her family. Tarrion walked up to her and hugged her from behind, and kissed her on her cheek. He saw a small tear crawling down.

"Are you alright?"

"I will be…" she answered. "Just… give me a little time."

"Alright…. I'll talk to Gelebor."

Serana nodded and she stayed behind as Tarrion walked up to the Snow Elf that stood near the restored wayshrine.

"So the deed has been done." he said. "The restoration of this wayshrine, must mean that you killed Vyrthur and the Betrayed hold no longer sway over him."

Tarrion shook his head.

"The betrayed did not control him. He was a Vampire… he controlled them."

Gelebor's face changed to shock and surprise. "A Vampire?... I see. Deep inside, it brings me joy that the Betrayed were not to blame for what happened here."

"How so?"

"Because that means, that they may still one day shed away their hatred, and start to believe in Auriel once again. It has been too long since I felt that way, but you have made it so."

Gelebor sighed, and Tarrion saw that he felt relieved.

"You have more than earned the right to wield the Bow. You risked everything to do what is right, and I can think of no other more worthy of the Bow, than you…. Please, take it."

Gelebor grabbed a large wrapped object, and removed the silver and white cloth from it, and revealed the bow.

It was made out of gold-like metal, just like the shield that Tarrion found in the Inner Sanctum, and it was engraved with runes and it shone in the light of the sun. Gelebor gave Tarrion a few strange, glowing arrows and explained how the Bow worked.

"The Bow draws its power from Atherius itself, and has no equal anywhere in Tamriel, and possibly beyond. Every arrow that is fired from it glows and burns with the heat of the sun. But these arrows are called Sunhallowed Arrows. Fire one of these at the sun, and fire will rain down on your foes. These sunbursts will certainly hurt anything, but is especially powerful against the undead."

Tarrion looked at the Bow and was impressed. It sounded incredibly powerful and he thanked Gelebor, before wishing him farewell.

He returned to Serana and saw that she felt a bit better. He showed the Bow to her and told her what Gelebor had told him.

"It's… not as shiny as I was expecting." she said with a smile. "Still, it's beautiful."

"It is… let's hope it is just as powerful as Gelebor says it is."

Serana nodded. "Then I think we both know what has to be done next… It's time to face my father. If we don't, he'll keep chasing us for the rest of our lives."

Tarrion nodded. "Agreed, but…. I think we have no other choice; he has do die."

"I know…." Serana said, and she sighed. "I… it's not easy, but I think we indeed have no choice…. No, this has to end here and now. But if we go to the castle now and kick the front door in, we're going to be knee-deep in his friends."

"Then let's get back to Isran. I'm betting he'll be willing to help us."

"Do you think he'll accept me as well?"

"…. I think so…. Isran is not an idiot, and he knows when he doesn't have a choice."

Tarrion suddenly smiled and Serana looked at him.

"And… I can also call in a few favours. I have some friends that will be willing to help us." he said.

"What do you mean?"

"When are you going to learn?" Tarrion asked teasingly. "I have friends everywhere."

=End of Chapter=

=End of Arc=

* * *

=Authors Notes=

And that is the final chapter of this arc. Next arc: Kicking some Vampiric butt. But for real, this is it for this chapter. I hope I can squeeze enough story and stuff into the next arc for several chapters, but I think I'll manage. Stay tuned for the next part of the story. We are nearing the end of the Dawnguard Quest-line.

That strange Shield they found is Auriel's Shield. Which can be found somewhere in the Forgotten Vale. You can look it up if you want… it is quite a fun shield.

Dragon Language Used

 _Fus Ro Dah: Force Balance Push (From the Unrelenting Force Shout)_

 _Laas Yah Nir: Life Seek Hunt (From the Aura Whisper Shout)_

PPS: I am Dutch (From the Netherlands) so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please let me know.


	18. Kindred Judgment 1

Kindred Judgment part 1

* * *

 _To my dear friends_

 _I hope this letter reaches you in time, for time, I'm afraid, is short. I have to call upon you, and anyone willing and able, for a large favour._

 _As all of Skyrim has noticed, there has been a large increase in Vampire attacks throughout the entire province. For the last week I have investigated who is behind all this, and I have been searching for a way to put an end to it. I strongly believe I have found both._

 _The threat of the Vampires affect us all, and therefore I believe that you have the right to know about it._

 _The main threat behind these Vampire attacks is a man named Harkon, a very old, and incredibly powerful Vampire. He has his home in a large fortress to the north-west of Solitude, on an island. There he has gathered a large number of Vampires around him, who, all of them, in their own right are powerful as well. He has made an enemy of all who dare to cross him, no matter who they are, or how close they were to him._

 _For the last weeks, a group known only as The Dawnguard, has been trying to rid Skyrim of these Vampires that threaten us all, and now we finally have the means. We have the intention of striking at the heart of the Vampire threat, and removing it, for once and for all._

 _I therefor call upon you to aid me in this. We will be needing every sword that we can muster, and every healer to aid us. I know that Skyrim has seen too much warfare and battles in the last year, but I ask you nonetheless. Any man or woman, willing and able to fight against these Vampires, I ask them to gather at Fort Dawnguard, near Stendarr's Beacon. Everything will be made more clear there._

 _Do not take this request, or this favour, lightly! Vampires are a powerful foe to anyone who is unprepared, no matter one's skill in combat. And these Vampires are stronger and more powerful than most. Do not feel called upon, if you cannot fight or are afraid. There is no honour in blindly walking to your death, and there is no shame in knowing your limits. I make no demands, nor do I order anyone to come. I humbly ask._

 _I do have to request that you do not ask anyone. The last thing we need is a panic, or the Vampires knowing of our plans. Keep this to yourselves, and ask only those you trust the most. No-one else. Travel only by day, and stick to the roads._

 _Tarrion Dovahsebrom_

* * *

Serana said quietly at one of the tables in the dining area. She silently stared at the wall opposite to her, and she held a tankard tightly in her hands. The tankard was completely empty but she did not notice. She had her lips pressed against the cold metal, and did not hear the commotion elsewhere in the fortress.

Everyone was busy preparing for the final assault against Harkon and anyone that collaborated with him. Crates filled with weapons were being moved, Sorine Jorrard was refining her crossbow design and Gunmar was hammering on plate-armour. They all were occupied with their own thoughts and tasks, and they all felt the same; Harkon was the enemy, and he and his kind had to be rooted out. This time they would not cut of the head of the snake, but burn the entire body.

But Serana sat alone, still with the tankard in her hands, and staring at the empty walls. Isran had not allowed her to help, not even to help moving crates. He still did not trust Serana, no matter what Tarrion had said, or shouted. When Serana had left the room after they returned with Auriel's Bow, she had heard Tarrion fight with Isran. She had hoped that Isran would finally see her as an ally. She never wanted to hear a huge apology, or a massive 'thank you', but a simple gesture of trust would have been enough, but it seemed Isran was more stubborn than any Nord. Tarrion had become furious when he heard that Isran still had not accepted Serana, and the fight he had with him lasted almost an hour, but to no avail. Serana had to sit down, unable to help.

And now she was alone again. Tarrion had gone on a small quest to reclaim some lost Dawnguard artefact. Florentius, an Imperial who, according to Serana, was not right in the head, had told them of a certain axe. According to him, this axe burned the undead with fire, and grew more powerful with every enemy it slew, and Tarrion thought this axe would be useful in the final fight. Serana remembered how Tarrion made a quick joke about it.

"I do hope this 'long lost artefact' does not include another lady, being sealed away. That would be awkward." he had said.

Serana knew he was trying to lift her spirits, but it hadn't helped. She had told him that she needed some time alone, and that she wouldn't come with him. But mere minutes after he had left, she felt alone again. There was no-one that would talk to her, or even acknowledge her presence. She had not felt this alone, since the time that her mother started to shut her out, and it made the pain of loneliness all the worse. She knew that in one of the next few days, she had to face her father, and although she knew she meant nothing to him anymore, it made none of it easier. At first she wanted some time alone to come to terms with what had to be done, to understand where she stood, and what it all meant, but she ended up staring at the wall of the dining area, or staring at the ceiling as she lay on Tarrion's bed. She kept moving between the two places, longing for silence when she sat in the dining area, and longing for an end to the deafening silence when she lay on the bed. She knew now that nothing had ever made her feel the way she felt now, and without Tarrion next to her holding her hand, with his arm wrapped around her, with the warmth of his body against hers, with sound of his heartbeat… she knew that she was more alone than ever before, and a tear fell from her eye in the tankard.

She heard commotion from the main hall. Different than the sound of people giving each-other orders, or the scraping of barrels and crates, but it sounded like they were greeting someone. She looked up when she heard heard a name, and she felt a bit warmer. Tarrion had returned. She walked up to the main hall and saw the two-metre-tall Nord towering above most others, and she saw a strange looking axe on his belt.

"Ah, you're back."

Serana ducked behind the wall as she heard Isran. She had successfully avoided him this whole time, and she decided that she wanted to keep it that way.

"Yes… and it seemed Florentius was right, although he forgot to mention a horde of Falmer."

"I always knew there was something wrong with him."

Isran sounded more at ease around Tarrion, now that Serana was not standing near him.

"Ah, well." Tarrion continued and Serana saw how he rubbed rain out of his hair. She had not noticed that it was raining outside. "Let's hope this axe is as powerful as he says it is. But do you know where Serana is?"

Serana heard him and she felt her heart flutter when he asked after her. Even when she was not around, it seemed his thoughts were still with her, and for the first time in the last two days, she felt a slight smile on her face. It disappeared as soon as Isran talked.

"You should know that I have absolutely no time, or interest, to care about the whereabouts of that bloodsucker. She is not interfering with our preparations, and that is all I need to know."

Tarrion sighed and walked past Isran. "You could have just said 'no'."

Serana saw how Tarrion left the main hall and went up the staircase that lead to his room.

'Good,' she thought. 'that means I won't have to deal with the others.'

She stalked Tarrion as he went up the stairs. She was a Vampire and moved without a single sound, or even move of air. She became one with the shadows and followed them up the stairs and to the room, where she saw Tarrion enter. She waited a little bit, when she walked out of the shadows. She took a deep breath and held herself back for a few moments, and she felt Tarrion move about his room. She knew enough of him to know that he had just removed his upper tunic, and now had his entire upper body exposed. She waited just another moment for him to throw his weapons away, before she quickly moved to the door and entered the room.

As soon as she saw him, her heart fluttered and a deep warmth entered her. He had thrown his armour and weapons to a corner, and had hung his tunic in front of the fire that burned in the hearth. His entire body was covered in countless scars, but was just as strong as always. She knew that Tarrion was a large and strong man, and his muscles were apparent in the light of the fire. She could see the water on them glisten in the light, and it made her feel even warmer. His hair was almost as black as hers, but his eyes were deep and fierce. She intentionally made a slight sound to make him turn around and look at her.

Tarrion heard something and turned to the door, and saw two eyes glowing and staring at him. At any other time he would reach for his sword, or charge a spell in his hand, but now he stayed calm and smiled as she stepped into the light of the fire. She was slender, with a slim waist and smooth shoulders. Her black hair fell around her pale face, barely touching her shoulders and it made it seem like her eyes glowed even brighter. Her dark clothes left no room for open skin, but he saw her supple neck and face, which were beautifully pale. There was nothing that stained her face and her lips were slightly tilted in a smile.

"You are a sight-…"

But before he finished his sentence, she grabbed him and pulled him in for a deep kiss. They both closed their eyes and he grabbed her and lifted her off the ground.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and wrapped her arms around his neck as she let out a soft moan. The warmth from his body, the sound of his heartbeat and the feeling of him pressed against her, made her feel alive and excited, as he pushed her against the wall. Serana pushed back and forced Tarrion on the bed. He felt her hands rub over his back and her nails scratched his skin, and it made him feel warmer and he fell backwards on the soft furs. Serana grinded on him and moaned, now without holding back.

"Tarrion?"

They both refused to look up as they heard Isran's voice echo through the hallway. Serana cast a quick freezing spell on the door, making it unable to open. They heard how Isran walked up to the door and tried to open it, and he knocked.

"Tarrion? You there?"

"Yes." he answered, right before he was smothered by Serana's lips. He hardly payed attention to what Isran said afterward, because Serana had just moved his hands under her clothing, and he now ran his hands over her naked back.

"There are a few warriors standing outside, asking about you. I believe they said something about being 'Companions'."

"I'll be there….. in a minute."

"You'll need more than 'a minute'." Serana whispered in his ear, and she kissed a scar on his shoulder.

Tarrion smiled and bit his lip as she kissed one scar after the other.

"Tarrion! Get your ass out of there and explain to us what is going on."

Tarrion sat up straight as he recognized the voice that just yelled at him, and he sighed.

"Yes… yes, Aela. I'm coming."

He looked at Serana, who had her head slightly tilted, and looked at him with an especially sad look on her face.

"I'll just grab my tunic and then I'll be there." he said to the door and he stepped off the bed. Serana jumped after him and grabbed his tunic before him and held it behind her back.

"Try and take it." she whispered with a smile.

"Nothing simpler." he teased back, and he walked up to her until she had her back against the wall. He leaned in and kissed her on her neck and shoulder, before he gave her a playful bite in her neck. He wrapped his hands around her and pulled the tunic from her grasp.

"Don't worry." he whispered to her. "I won't be long."

"I know." she said, as she walked past him and rubbed her hand over his waist. "And to make sure you don't forget…"

She unbuttoned the top part of her clothing and lay on the bed, smiling seductively. "This should get you motivated."

Tarrion smirked, praising himself lucky and he put his tunic on and removed the ice that blocked the door.

Aela was standing just outside. Her brown hair hung loose, and she did not have her war-paint on. Her sharp brown eyes cast a quick glance inside and she saw Serana lying on the bed. She raised one eyebrow and looked at Tarrion and she rolled her eyes.

"Not a word." Tarrion said as he closed the door.

"Nor do I intend to."

"Not to me, or anyone else."

"Don't worry, Tarrion." and Aela waved it away. "Lydia already warned me, and I got the message that others cannot know."

When Tarrion and Serana returned from the Forgotten Vale, they passed Whiterun where Tarrion informed Lydia of the situation. He had asked her to aks the Companions to come, as Tarrion was the Harbinger.

"What if they ask questions about Serana?" had Lydia asked.

Tarrion had thought about it, but he knew it was unlikely that any of them knew about her. "Hmm... If Aela asks, you can tell her. But try to keep the rest out of it. Aela is smarter than most, and not much happens without her knowing of it."

He knew that Aela would be more inclined to understand, or at least not ask too many questions if she realized it was a matter close to Tarrion.

"Good." Tarrion said to Aela. "They might misunderstand."

"Ha! And could you blame them?"

"No, but I do hope that you trust me and I hope you give her a change."

"Yea… well…. We did not come here to ask about your love-life. What is going on with this Vampire business?"

"I'll explain when we join the others… speaking of which. Who is here?"

"So far?" Aela asked. "Me and the twins, Farkas and Vilkas. Lydia of-course, and Uthgerd decided to show up as well."

"Really?"

"Yes.. you know her. 'A true Nord woman never misses a change to prove her worth'." and Tarrion smiled as they walked down the stairs.

"That sounds like Uthgerd. But anyone else?"

"Yes. Jarl Balgruuf has send fifteen guardsmen to help. Iona from Riften has shown up with another six guardsmen, and another woman. I don't know who she is, but she has blond hair, and a greatsword on her back. I assume you do know her?"

"Mjoll." Tarrion nodded. "The Lioness. Now that I think of it, I should have expected her to come."

They entered the great hall and Tarrion saw Farkas leaning against a wall and Vilkas was talking to Iona. Lydia looked up as soon as Tarrion walked in, and walked to her Thane.

"Ah, I'm glad you have come." Tarrion sighed, and he meant it.

"Of-course, my Thane."

"Ah, Tarrion." Farkas rumbled. His heavy voice was unmistakable, and he came standing next to Aela. "Care to tell us what in the blazes is going on now?"

"Yes, but not here." Tarrion answered. "Come on. We'll go to the dining area. It's a bit quieter there."

Farkas pulled his brother away from Iona who also followed the group to the dining area. There they gathered around a table and Tarrion sighed before he explained what the situation was.

Tarrion explained what he had found out about Harkon and his plans. He told them of his adventures, but he did not include Serana. He thought it would be for the best if they knew as little as possible, and although he sensed that they suspected something, he said nothing about her.

"Alright," Iona said after Tarrion stopped talking. "So what is our plan of attack? You said these Vampires are hold up on this island fortress, so how do we get there?"

"Boats." Tarrion said plainly. "I send a letter to general Tullius in Solitude with a request for enough boats to take us there. The trip itself is not that far, but we will be needing the boats."

"But what about this place?" Vilkas asked. "Don't you think the Vampires will try to launch an attack here, while everyone is away?"

"I thought of that too. A smaller group will stay here, to defend the fortress in the case of such an attack. But I doubt that attack will be great. I am sure Harkon will gather the majority of his forces at the castle."

"Do you know how many Vampires are in that castle?" Lydia asked. "I hope you don't expect us to fight against an enemy in greater numbers than ours."

"True." Tarrion said. "I do not expect anyone to do that, but I don't know how many Vampires we are up against. At least not exactly. From what I can remember, I would say at least forty, maybe fifty Vampires."

All of them now looked shocked at Tarrion, and they all thought the same, until Aela voiced it.

"Then we are heavily outnumbered!"

"I know this, Aela." Tarrion said, and he calmed her. "But we are not weaker. We are all battle-hardened warriors, and I think more will come. But even if they won't, I still have two other friends that I will call upon. But not now."

Tarrion pulled out a small map that Serana had drawn. It was a sketch of the entire island, with markers that indicated the beach and the cliffs, and the main entrance to the fortress.

"This is a map of the island." Tarrion continued and he pointed at the main beach. "The main assault will land here. They will likely see us from a mile away, but I will arrange for cover. The attack on the island itself does not worry me. Once we're inside, we are going to have to fight for our lives. I cannot tell you how many pathways there are, or where the Vampires may be hiding, but I am confident that we can overpower them."

"And what about this Harkon?" Iona asked.

"I will take him on myself. I don't know exactly where he will be, but it is unlikely that he will be on the beach, or the main hall of the castle. He will likely be in a separate area of the castle, alone."

"How do you know this?"

"Because he is arrogant in his power." Tarrion said simply. "He cares not for his followers, not in the slightest. He will not be part of the main battle, and that might give us the advantage we need. If Harkon, the leader, is not present during the fighting, the others may lose heart."

They discussed long after this, and the plan was changed, altered and improved along the way. Mjoll had decided to join them, and she quickly proved she had a good eye for the best tactics that they could use. After the last few details, and changes in the plan, they all agreed with it. Tarrion knew the plan was shaky, and most of it would depend on sheer dumb luck, but it was the only plan that they had. Iona had been smart in pointing out that it might be possible to enter the same way Tarrion had entered before. Via the unused inlet, through the courtyard and then enter the castle. But Tarrion pointed out that that way was blocked off by rubble.

"Can't you remove it with your Shouts?" had Vilkas asked. "You know? Just 'fusrodah' it away?"

"Maybe." had Tarrion answered. "And then there is the other end of the path, which is probably also blocked by rubble, and then we have to find our way back to the main hall. That way relies on too many 'what-ifs' and 'maybes'."

They all knew how to execute the plan, but now they faced the question of when. When would they attack? Would it be wiser to attack now, and give Harkon no time to prepare? Or to wait and give themselves more time to prepare and gather strength, but in turn allowing Harkon to do the same?

These and other thoughts now echoed through Tarrion's head as he looked around the main hall for Isran. He later asked around and heard that he was no outside, preparing the men. As Tarrion walked through the main doors, he saw that it had stopped raining, and a large number of men now walked around the valley. He saw that there were at least thirty men and women gathered outside the fortress, and another ten were still inside. Tarrion knew it wouldn't be enough, but he was still confident that more would come.

"Isran!"

He found him standing on a small wooden watchtower, overseeing everyone in the valley. He leaned on his large hammer and he scratched his beard. When he turned around, Tarrion saw the wrinkles on his forehead.

"Hmm?" he hummed as Tarrion came standing next to him.

"I just informed my friends of the plan. There are a few slight changes, but it largely remains the same. A small force stays behind to protect the fortress, while the rest will head for the castle. There is only one thing left to decide."

"Which is?"

"When will we attack?" Tarrion asked. "We can wait another week to gather more men, but it will also give Harkon more time to gather his. We have to attack, and preferably soon."

"I agree." Isran grumbled. "I thought about it, and I think it is best that we leave tomorrow. It will take us a full day to reach the fortress, but we can set up camp on the shoreline. I heard that there is a fortress standing there, not too far from where we leave shore. That would be a good place to make camp."

"Northwatch Keep." Tarrion nodded. " It is probably overrun by bandits, but I will see to that. I'll send a letter to my housecarl to clear it out."

"Good. But then there is still the matter of those two 'friends' that you were supposed to call upon, and the matter of crossing over to the island. How do you plan to cover us?"

"I already said; You will see in time."

Isran grumbled again, clearly not happy with this answer, but Tarrion felt no need to explain. He had explained that he would help, but not how he would do it.

"Fine." and Isran stood up and turned to Tarrion, looking him straight in his eyes. "But that leaves one last matter to discuss."

"Which is?"

"That… Vampire that sits inside the castle." Isran said and he pointed behind him. "What of her? How do we know she will raise her hand against her own?"

"I trust her to do the right thing."

Tarrion's voice was calm and cold to Isran. He still felt anger toward him for not accepting Serana, or even trying to see her as a real person.

"But how can we-…" but Tarrion raised his hand, silencing him.

"Isran, I will not discuss this with you. I know you do not trust Serana, and I stopped caring about that a long time ago. But I do trust her… and that should be enough."

He looked Isran fiercely in his eyes, and Isran saw that he could not win it.

"Fine then." he said reluctantly. "I suppose it is as much as I could hope for. In that case I suggest you gather your things and rest well. We leave tomorrow. Early."

After Tarrion told the others that they would leave in the morning and after he send a quick letter to Solitude, he left and went to his room. He had enough of battle preparations and now longed for peace and quiet. As he entered the room, he half expected to see Serana leaning on the bed, but this was not so. She now stood in front of the fire, staring into the flames. Tarrion walked up to her and took her hands in his. She looked up to him, and he saw that her eyes were wet with tears.

"Are you alright?"

Serana opened her mouth, but she couldn't say anything. She turned and sat on the bed, her hands covering her face.

"No…. I'm not."

Tarrion kneeled in front of her and grabbed her hands again. Her eyes were now red with tears, and she felt colder than before, despite that the room was filled with the warmth of the fire.

"Tell me." he said kindly. "What do you feel?"

"It…. I'm…. I don't know… what to feel."

Her voice was small, and Tarrion could almost feel the grief that dripped from every word.

"We are marching against my own father." Serana said, and tears crawled over her pale face. "He… is evil…. And I know that he has to die, but…. He is still my father."

Serana stood up and walked toward one of the walls, and Tarrion sat on the bed. He watched as she desperately searched for an answer, and how her feelings now came boiling over.

"I… I don't think I am ready for this…. How can someone be ready to kill her own parent? I know that my father no longer sees me as his daughter… and I am trying not to see him as my father anymore, but…."

She looked up at Tarrion and her face now begged him. Tears crawled over her face and into her mouth.

"Tell me Tarrion." she said and he could hear the desperation in her voice. "Tell me what to do…. Tell me what to feel, because….. I don't know anymore."

Tarrion did not move, and saw how Serana looked at him like he was her last hope. He made a slight nod.

"Come here." he said quietly, and Serana walked up to him, and she sat on his lap. He hugged her and caressed her arms while he gave her a long and tender kiss.

"I do not know how you feel." he finally said. "I cannot know what you feel. My parents died when I was very young, and I hardly remember them. So I cannot imagine what you are going through, and I cannot give you advice."

He sighed and looked her in her eyes. They were still beautiful, despite the tears, and he gave her a slight smile.

"But I can give you a promise. I will promise you the same thing I promised you when we met your mother. I will never abandon you. Even if all the armies of Oblivion were standing between us, I would still come for you."

He pressed his head against hers, so that the tip of his nose touched hers and he closed his eyes.

"No matter what happens. I will be here. I will not leave you, Serana."

He sighed again, and he admitted to himself, and to her, what he felt.

"I love you."

And he saw that it meant the world to her. Slowly a slight smile shone through her teary face, and she answered.

"I love you too."

The night slowly fell, but neither of them noticed. Outside the others were preparing for battle, but not them. They now lay in bed, their arms wrapped around each other, and they both slept peacefully. Tarrion had removed his tunic, and Serana had thrown her cloak against the wall. She now rested her head on his chest, with one arm wrapped around him, and he had his hand on her back. The fur covers now barely reached Serana's shoulders, but neither of them felt cold. They both slept in peace, not caring for what would come. The only care they felt, was for what was in their arms.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

So, an entire chapter with battle-preparations and feelings. I always thought that Serana making her peace with killing her own father was a little dry and empty in the game, so I tried to make it a bit more elaborate here. Isran is still a jerk but neither of them cares, for they have each other.

Stay tuned for the next chapter. I'll try to do my best in letting it live up to the expectations, and yet wrap up this arc, and the Dawnguard Questline as soon as possible.

 _No other languages used_

(As always) I'm Dutch (from the Netherlands) so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please tell me about it.


	19. Kindred Judgment 2

Kindred Judgment part 2

 _-Fort Dawnguard-_

"Serana… stop pacing around the room."

"I can't…. I hate waiting like this."

"I thought you didn't want this to happen."

Serana stopped. She sighed and looked at Tarrion and he could see the look in her eyes.

"I know… I still don't want this…. But I know it is inevitable. And waiting on the edge of an event that I cannot escape is worse than the event itself."

The night had passed, and the men and women outside were still preparing to leave. During the night another group of warriors had arrived. Several warriors from the Dawnguard had returned from a scouting mission, and Isran had not expected them to return in time. The group consisted out of fifteen men and women, led by Ingjard and Beleval. Ingjard was a Nord woman with fiery red hair and Beleval was a Dunmer who refused to be lesser than any man. Both women had proved themselves skilled fighters with an indomitable will. Isran had greeted them both with open arms, but Tarrion slept through the commotion caused by them.

He and Serana slept through the entire night, and were woken up by Lydia early in the morning. Tarrion had put on his armour and struggled with his gauntlets, while Serana paced around the room waiting for him to be ready.

"How long do you think we will be on the road before we reach this Northwatch Keep?"

"Hmm. On my own it would take me a day. Last night Isran told me that it would take a bit more than a day, but he did not include the supplies and wagons we have to move as well. If we're lucky, we will have a three day walk ahead of us."

"Three days." Serana moaned.

It took another hour before everyone was ready to leave. Several wagons and carts were brought to carry the supplies, weapons and provisions. Tarrion now stood on one of the main towers with Lydia standing next to him.

"Are you alright, my thane?" she asked. "You seem worried."

Tarrion took a deep breath before answering. "Tell me Lydia… how many battles have we fought together?"

Lydia now had an expression of concern on her face, and her clear, brown eyes looked at Tarrion like it was the first time she had seen him.

"What do you mean?"

"We have fought together, side by side, in battles beyond count." Tarrion sighed. "We have fought man and beast. Bandits, bears, the undead, mages, undead mages, Dwarven automatons and even Dragons. I…. I just have the feeling that this battle will be different. I'm worried. Not about me, but about those that I care about. About my friends."

Lydia grabbed Tarrion and turned his head towards her. "You have fought foes that are the stuff of nightmares, and every time you came out alive and well."

"Alive, but not well." Tarrion corrected her. "Otherwise I wouldn't have a single scar on my body, and you have helped patch me up countless times."

Lydia waved that away. "I know, but not even Alduin was a match for you. These are Vampires… powerful ones… but still only Vampires."

And suddenly she looked at Tarrion with a stern look. "And let me make one thing perfectly clear. I will not allow you to die… I am your housecarl, and I have sworn to protect you."

"Damnit Lydia, you're not making this easier."

Tarrion sighed again and grabbed something from his belt. He showed it to Lydia and she saw that it was an axe. It was inlayed with runes and it seemed sharp enough to split a hair in two.

"I want you to have this." Tarrion said, and he raised his hand before she could protest. "Don't…. just take it. This axe was made specifically to fight the undead, and I would feel better if you would carry it. And yes… I am sure."

Lydia took the axe in her hands, but Tarrion saw that she did not feel better. She seemed to worry even more, but Tarrion shook his head and she thanked him. He now overlooked everyone below in the valley. In total a good fifty men and women were gathered, of which fifteen would stay behind to protect the fortress. Tarrion knew that they looked outnumbered but he also knew that his housecarl Jordis would wait for him at Northwatch Keep, and he was confident that general Tullius would lend him some of his men.

Below a horn sounded. The signal to leave. Tarrion and Lydia climbed down the tower and Serana joined them at the entrance to the main hall. Aela was talking to the twins, as they would stay behind to lead the defenders. Neither of them seemed to like it one bit, but they knew they had to protect civilians and the fortress.

"… and no matter what happens. If you see that you cannot win it, you have permission to transform. I don't care if others may see you do it… you will not die because you think you can't transform. Clear?"

Both Farkas and Vilkas nodded.

"Don't worry Aela… we can do this."

"Yes, don't worry about us. Worry about yourself."

She turned around and walked to Tarrion.

"They are right, you know?" Tarrion said to her. "They are both experienced warriors. Vilkas is smart enough to see the best moment in battle, and Farkas…. 'has the strength of Ysgramor'."

"I know.. I know. But enough of that… the others are leaving already."

"Agreed… but one last thing Aela."

Tarrion grabbed a shield from his back. It was a golden, strange looking shield and Aela looked confused at Tarrion.

"Take this." he said. "Just take it… I won't accept 'no' as an answer."

"I wasn't going to say 'no', but…. Why this shield?"

"This is a special shield. It stores the energy from blocked attacks and fires it back when you hit someone with it. Use it well."

Aela, Lydia, Tarrion and Serana joined the others forces as they left the valley. Serana was quiet and walked in the back, with her hood on. The sun was behind the clouds, but she refused to walk without her hood. She and Tarrion walked in the back, behind Aela and Lydia who had a conversation about the best way to kill the Vampires. Tarrion kept his eyes on Serana who walked in silence and seemed to stare at her feet. Tarrion grabbed her hand an slowed his pace a bit, so Lydia and Aela wouldn't hear them.

"Are you alright?"

"I… I think so." she said, and Tarrion could hear that her voice was stronger than he expected. "I know it is the right thing to do, and I know that we have no choice…. It is not easy…"

"If you are not ready to face Harkon…." Tarrion started, but Serana interrupted him.

"No… I am ready. I want him to know that he has brought this upon himself. I… I am ready…. I think."

 _-Whiterun Hold-_

Tarrion and Serana walked to the front of the column. They had just reached the Whiterun's Western Watchtower, and they agreed to rest there for the night. It was already dark and the moon had almost reached its highest point already, but Isran had refused to stop. It wasn't until they marched deep into the night, he agreed to rest. There another three warriors joined the still growing force. Rayya, Argis and Gregor waited for Tarrion at the watchtower, and after Tarrion had greeted them, they mingled amongst the others.

"Tarrion, we should go."

Tarrion turned around and saw Serana standing next to him.

"What?"

"We should go…. This is taking too long, and there is nothing we can do here. I suggest we go ahead."

Tarrion saw the look in her eyes, and he thought he recognized it. It was the same look she had when she asked to be fed, and he nodded.

"I'll tell Isran that…."

"No… please, let's just go… now."

"What is it?" Tarrion looked at her, but she did not look back. There was something about her tone that made Tarrion uneasy. He did not know what it was, but he agreed. Without a word he grabbed two horses that were kept at the watchtower and rode off with Serana into the night.

At first Tarrion wanted to make the horse trod at an easy pace, but Serana urged her horse into a gallop. She forced the horse to go so fast, Tarrion had a hard time keeping up with her, and she stopped for no-one and nothing. He rode behind her and saw how both she and her horse had become a shadow and a gale, as they flew through Rorikstead. Several guards had to jump away to avoid being run over and they hollered a few insults.

 _-Haafingar-_

Serana finally stopped. They had reached the north-western mountains near Solitude and they could see the fortress of Northwatch Keep below. The sun had begun to rise and it was clearly going to be a cloudy day. Serana dismounted and stepped to the edge of the mountainside. Tarrion dismounted as well and walked up to her. During the entire gallop Serana had not said a word.

"Serana… talk to me…."

She did not answer immediately, but looked out over the sea, and Tarrion knew that she could see the fortress in the distance.

"We're alone… aren't we?" she asked and Tarrion nodded.

"Yes we are…. Come.. talk to me… what is it?"

Serana sighed and she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry… I just… needed to get away from everyone else for a moment. I couldn't stand being around them anymore."

"Why? They are on our side… they are our friends."

"They are your friends." Serana said, and the frustration in her voice was clear. She turned around and her eyes flared. "Your housecarls and friends are here, and everyone in the Dawnguard loves you for what you did, what you do and what you are. But me…. they hate me! While you were away to fetch that axe, nobody said a word to me…. They treated me as a leper, as a…. as a Vampire. And they were not wrong. I am a Vampire, a Pure-Blooded Vampire even, and they see me as the enemy. And don't tell me I'm wrong, because Isran still hates me. Lydia seems to tolerate me, but only because you tell her to. Otherwise she would have killed me long ago."

Serana sighed again. She had clearly held those word back for a while, and they now burst from her.

"And now… we march against my father, who, despite everything, is still my father, and everyone wants to see him dead and kill every Vampire along the way. They see as just as much of an abomination as my father! How can I stay around people like that?"

Tarrion could not answer her, but came standing next to her and also looked out over the sea. A cold breeze came from the north, and it played with Serana's hair. He stood there, conflicted with his thoughts for a while, trying to think of something to say. He sighed.

"Serana… as I said before, I do not know what you are going through. I cannot give you advice on this… I cannot tell you how to feel…. But I can tell you this. If there was another way, I would take it in a heartbeat. If I could make the others like you, I would do so right now. If I could make your pain go away… I would do so. The only thing that might be a relief is that, after this, we won't have to deal with Isran or the Dawnguard anymore."

"That is a bit of a relief, in fact…. But what about you?"

"What about me?"

"What will you do after this?" Serana looked at him and he saw her eyes growing wider. The soft glow was clearly visible in the night.

"Me? I'm not sure." he made himself sound like he was considering, but in truth he had made up his mind long ago. "I can go back to saving the day again… being a bad-ass Dragonborn that I am and continue to help people, and save damsels in distress, having them fall for me."

Serana took a deep breath through her nose and pouted her lips in protest and Tarrion smirked. "Or I might take it easy for a while…. I do have a large manor in Falkreath that I still have to visit. I'm sure the builders are done furnishing it by now, so I should be able to move in. The only problem now is that it would be slightly lonely… alone, facing the cold nights of Skyrim by myself…. With no-one to talk to…"

"I thought that one of your housecarls would move in?" Serana teased him back, and she smirked too now.

"True, but…. Well… she is not exactly a very talkative person."

"Mhm…." Serana nodded. "Then who do you want to talk to?"

"I was thinking about getting a dog." Tarrion smiled.

Serana slapped him on his head, and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you… for taking my mind of all this." And Tarrion wrapped his arm around her.

"Anytime."

 _-Outside Northwatch Keep-_

The next day was the day of the attack. With the help of another fifteen guardsmen Jordis had cleared out Northwatch Keep and brought the boats to the shore. Now seven small boats, enough for all of them, were moored close by. Tarrion stood on the highest tower and looked to the north where he saw the dark shadow of Volkihar Castle loom in the distance.

Isran and his forces had arrived the previous night, and now everyone had assembled between the walls of the fortress, where Isran had decided to make a speech. He stood above the gate so that everyone could see him.

"Everyone! Gather 'round…. Come on then! We haven't got all day."

He waited for everyone to stand in the small courtyard before his voice echoed over them.

"For too long we have allowed these Vampires to poison the night, and kill our people. Now, we have the means to strike back!" and he held up a golden bow. "We now have Auriel's Bow! The Gods themselves have favoured us, and we must answer with action! We will march on their, and destroy those wretched abominations so they can no longer corrupt our world!"

He pulled his large hammer from his back and struck with it on the stones.

"This is our fight! And this is our fate! THIS IS THE TIME OF THE DAWNGUARD!"

The men and women below drew their swords and shouted loud.

"Kill the abominations!"

"For the Dawnguard! For Skyrim!"

"Give them a crossbow bolt between the eyes for me!"

Serana heard how Isran had called her kind 'abominations', but she was not surprised. She knew how Isran felt about Vampires, and she no longer cared. She climed the tower and came standing next to Tarrion and looked at the fortress what once was her home. With her Vampire eyes she could see more than Tarrion, but the sunlight blocked out much.

"Can you see them?" Tarrion asked her.

"Yes."

Serana saw indeed a large number of men and women on the beach of the island. She saw small barricades an palisades, and behind them at least one hundred vampires and thralls were gathered. She saw that Harkon wanted to intimidate, and had put the host of his forces on the beach. She could not see who they were, for the sun blocked her vision.

"I can see at least one hundred." she said.

Tarrion nodded. "It seems Harkon doesn't want us to even reach the fortress gates. He wants to deter us at the beach."

He smiled. "He is over confident."

"We will have a hard time getting through the beach."

"No we won't." Tarrion simply said and he climbed down the tower.

He walked over the walls and came standing next to Isran above the gate.

"I hope you won't get scared."

"What do you mean?" Isran asked, but Tarrion braced himself.

ODAHVIING

Isran jumped back when he heard the sound and power of Tarrion's Voice, but when nothing happened he looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

"What was that supposed to be?"

"Calling a friend."

A thundering roar echoed over the mountains. It was so loud, Tarrion saw that it created a small avalanche, and he smiled. Several of the men below jumped up at the sound of it and grabbed their bows.

"What was that?" a few asked, but Tarrion now looked at something over the mountains.

A large dragon had appeared and it now came flying down the mountain. Isran went pale, and they could hear Agmear and Celann.

"DRAGON!"

"TAKE COVER!"

"Everyone! Calm down!"

Aela came walking through the men and tried to calm them down.

The red Dragon roared again and flew over the now terrified humans below him, and Tarrion could hear him laugh. Tarrion jumped down from the walls and the Dragon landed in front of him and the ground shook.

"Odaviing, old friend. I'm glad you've come."

"Tarrion _Thuri_. You have called me, and so I have come. What is it that you need of me?"

"Your help, but before I ask you, I must call one other friend."

Odaviing looked confused at Tarrion as he walked past him and Shouted to the ground.

DURNEHVIIR

The ground shook and broke open and black flames poured from them. Many of the men had gathered on the walls to look at the dragon, but they now cowered even more as it looked like the flames of Oblivion itself burned the ground, and even Odaviing backed away. With a thundering roar the undead Dragon climbed out of the ground, the same way the undead would climb from their graves, and he turned around and faced Tarrion.

"Ahh… the free air of _Vus_ at long last…." he said. "I see that you are in need of my aid _Qahnaarin_ …. And you have brought another of the _Dov_ here. What can we do for you?"

Tarrion smiled. He turned around and saw how everyone was gathered on the walls to look at the two large Dragons, and they did not know what they saw. Only Aela, Lydia, Jordis, and Serana stayed calm, for they had seen Tarrion like this before. Strong, commanding, fearless and powerful.

"I need your help in besieging a fortress to the north of here." Tarrion said to the two Dragons. "There are a lot of Vampires and their thralls gathered there, and we are heavily outnumbered. I know you cannot enter the castle itself, but you can clear the beach. I know you will find defences there, but you will be able to breach them."

"Would you have us scatter these _Rovaan Vulon_? Like leaves in the wind?" Odahviing asked.

"No." Tarrion said, and his voice turned serious. "I want you to burn the beaches. Do not leave a single stone unscorched, and let no-one get away. Bring the fear to them, and let them know that their end has come. Furthermore, I am sure they will have sentries inside the fortress, ready to fire spells at us. If you can, turn them to ashes. I will lead over the water in the boats."

"Hmmm, your enemies will surely see you coming, _Qahnaarin._ How will you defend yourself if you get hit with these spells? Those boats are made of wood and will burn like torches."

"I know." Tarrion continued. "I will arrange for cover along the way. I just want you to clear the beaches and take down as many sentries as you can."

Both Durnehviir and Odahviing agreed and flew away.

"You are a young _Dova_." Tarrion heard Durnehviir say to Odahviing. "I hope I don't have to teach you to fly."

"Careful, old one. You might need help with the crossing."

Both Dragons laughed and flew in a storm to the north.

Tarrion now led everyone to the boats. He would take the middle ship, which was also the largest. Aela, Serana, Jordis, Lydia, Isran and Durak would join him along with a few guardsmen.

"How exactly do you want to give us 'cover'?" Aela asked.

"I will create a thick mist. You won't see three feet in front of you. I will be able to see and navigate through it, but others won't. Therefore we will tie the boats together, so that none of them will get lost in the mist."

And as Tarrion said, the boats were tied together. The largest boat would be in the middle, with three boats on either side.

Tarrion looked up and saw both Dragons dive to the beaches, and he saw the fire that escaped from both their mouths. He could vaguely hear their voices, but they were drowned in the screams and cries from Vampires and their thralls being burned.

After a few moments everyone had gathered in the boats. Tarrion stood on the front of the middle one and looked out over the sea in front of him. The sky was clouded, but he could clearly see the fortress in front of him. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply before he Shouted.

VEN MUL RIIK

In less than no time a thick fog had covered everything, and they left the shores. Behind him Tarrion could hear the others feel confused and they said they felt strange. Tarrion did not feel this, as he had experienced this before. In Sovngarde, Alduin had set up a similar soul snare in this mist. But Tarrion had no intention of capturing the souls of all aboard the ships. He wanted them safely across the water to reach the island.

The cries and screams from their enemies now sounded far off and Tarrion could not hear Durnehviir or Odahviing, but he knew they would not be killed. 'Those Vampires may be powerful,' he thought. 'but they cannot stand against two Dragons. And a third is on his way, and this one is more powerful than many Dragons combined.'

He felt energy build up in him, as he now clearly remembered what Harkon had said and done. What he had done against his own kind, his own family, his own wife and daughter. Tarrion felt himself fill with rage and anger toward all those who had wronged both him, the province of Skyrim… and Serana. He now cared more for her than anyone else, and he knew that Harkon would not survive to see the end of this day.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

Soo, finally this chapter is done. This one was a pain in the ass…. You have no idea. I don't know how many parts of this chapter I re-wrote, re-checked and deleted, only to bring them back again. It never felt right with me, but I think I did it right now. I hope so, and I hope you like it so far. The final battle awaits us, and I know this is another chapter with only more feelings and build up to said battle.

There has been one guy who pointed out that the battle is going to be small, compared to what a real-life battle would be. I know this, and I can only agree with him/her (no idea if it is a he or she). I will explain the same here, what I explained to him:

In the game you only see a handful of warriors, like 10 in total, storm Castle Volkihar. I now have a hard time imagining a full scale battle with many thousands of men, siege equipment, battering rams etc. , based on just that. So I am keeping it small, and I'm sorry for that. I would like to make it a massive battle, but I just have a hard time imagining that. Sorry :)

He also pointed out that Skyrim is technically the size of Alaska, and thus it would take them at least a full week to travel from the one end of Skyrim to the other end. I now did change 1 day to 3 days, but it is still pretty small. I once again can only agree with him, and I do have to apologize for not making it so. "Is it too late to say sorry?" (Gods I hate that song)

Dragon Language Used:

 _Od-ah-viing: Snow Winged Hunter (From the Call Dragon Shout)_

 _Dur-Neh-Viir: Curse Never Dying (From the Summon Durneviir Shout)_

 _Ven Mul Riik: Wind Strong Gale (Alduin uses this shout to create his Soulsnare in Sovngarde. You cannot use this shout in the game, but who cares :)_

 _Thuri: My (Over)Lord_

 _Vus: Nirn_

 _Qahnaarin: Vanquisher_

 _Rovaan Vulon: Nightwalkers_

 **Characters:**

 **Ingjard:** Nord woman, redhead, member of the Dawnguard.

 **Beleval:** Dunmer woman, also member of the Dawnguard.

 **Argis:** (The bulwark), Male Nord, housecarl in Markarth.

 **Gregor:** Male Nord, Housecarl in the Pale.

 **Jordis:** (The swordmaiden), Nord woman, housecarl in Solitude, and twin sister to Lydia. (not really but come on, they look exactly the same, just with a different hairdo)

 **Odahviing:** Red Dragon. Helps you get to Skuldafn and allows you to call for him for help after you defeat Alduin.

(As always) I am Dutch (From the Netherlands) so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar please tell me about it.


	20. Kindred Judgment 3

Kindred Judgment part 3

Tarrion looked out over the bow of the boat. He saw the slight shadows of the cliffs and one of the watchtowers as they glided through the water. Serana stood next to him, but she couldn't see a thing. Tarrion thought he knew why. The mist he summoned with his Shout, was no ordinary mist, and he knew how easy it was to get lost. He assumed that his Dragon-blood gave him protection from it, but all the others felt like they had gone blind. Aela looked from her eyes as if she couldn't see anything, and Archon scared her when he put his hand on her shoulder.

"You should wear a bell." she had told him. "I am very sure now that I hate this Shout. Please don't ever use it again."

"Sorry… but it is the only way to get safe passage. I don't like this shout either."

"It is… as if I am blind, both in spirit and body. I feel disorientated… like none of my senses work like they are supposed to…. Please tell me you can reverse this mist… I don't like the idea of fighting in it."

"I can dispel it, don't worry."

Now, as he stood on the bow of the boat, he tried to pierce the mist with his eyes, and he saw the banks of the beaches vaguely ahead.

"Brace yourself!" he shouted. "We are about to run aground!"

He saw how the others grabbed something to hold on to, and Serana grabbed him.

"I got you…" he said to her, and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I know you do."

A few seconds later, the boat hit the shoreline and they stopped abruptly, but they all managed to keep their footing. Tarrion walked ahead, to the tip of the bow, and listened. But he could hear nothing. There were no signs of battle, or cries of an attacking force. Everything was eerily quiet, and it made Tarrion feel uneasy.

"Do you sense anyone?" he asked Serana, but she shook her head.

"But I don't know if that means that everyone is truly gone…" she quickly told him. "This mist is… strange, and I'm not sure if I can trust my senses now."

Tarrion nodded, and looked again, listening closely for any sign of life. But when he still heard no sign of life, he jumped down from the boat onto the beach. His boots sunk a bit in the sand, but there was no response.

"Tarrion?! What are you doing?"

"Wait here." he said back. "I'm going to see if there is anyone alive." and he walked away. Everywhere he walked, the ground was scorched. He saw heaps of ashes lying scattered across the ground, and many death-hounds and Gargoyles lay dead all around. He walked past a few palisades and wooden barricades, but there was not much left of them. He saw that Odahviing and Durnehviir had done what they set out to do, and left no stone unscorched.

Tarrion was now sure that nobody survived the onslaught of the Dragons, and he walked to the shadow of the watchtower, but found it ruined. The entrance was blocked, and large pieces of it lay scattered on the rocky cliffs. He turned around and looked at where the boats were supposed to be, and breathed deeply.

LOK VAH KOOR

His voice echoed over the beach and the waters, and the mist lifted. The boats became clearer and the sun broke through the clouds, bathing the entire island in a golden glow. He saw Serana quickly don her hood, and she jumped off the boat and ran toward him. All the others also left the boats, and unsheathed their swords. When Tarrion overlooked at wat was left of the defences, he saw the destruction that the two Dragons had caused.

Dead bodies lay everywhere, and the ground was blackened by both fire and blood. The smouldering remains of the wooden palisades and barricades were easily dispersed, and Tarrion saw that the large bridge to the castle was broken.

"By the blood…" Serana said quietly. "I knew Dragons were powerful, but I did not expect this."

With a roar, Odahviing flew over the ruined watchtower and Tarrion heard him laugh. He flew over the ships and the small sails whipped back and forth in the wind that came from his wings. He landed a bit further away and Tarrion walked to him.

"We have done as you asked, Tarrion. They knew not what hit them. Now, can we help you with breaching this _gevild_? This castle?"

"Yes you can, my friend." Tarrion said. "They have barred the gate, and I alone cannot break through, and since we came with boats, we could not bring a ram to break the gates down."

"Say no more…" and Odahviing smiled. "I will stand on the one side, and the old one on the other, and with our _Thu'um_ combined, we will shatter it."

He flew away and Durnehviir came flying next to him. Tarrion looked up, to the countless windows of the fortress, and he saw no lights burning, and this made him uneasy. He had thought the Vampires would have unleashed everything they had left at them, but it had stayed quiet. The entire fortress stood there in silence, and some of the men started to whisper.

"This is a trap."

"They are waiting for us. We should leave while we can."

But Isran heard them and shouted. "We will not turn back! We will raze this place to the ground, and every last of those bloodsuckers that resides within! For the Dawnguard! For Skyrim!" and he struck his hammer on the rocks.

The others seemed to be inspired by him, and now nodded and walked forward. But Tarrion still felt uneasy as he walked the bridge to the main gate. Still no answer had come from the fortress, and he started to think about a trap as well. Serana walked next to him, and said nothing as they followed the path upward. A few of the stone gargoyles were broken and shattered, and the men seemed to draw courage from these broken statues. They even laughed, and kicked a stone claw away.

Tarrion now walked to the gate and prepared himself. The steel portcullis was indeed lowered as he had expected and behind that, the wooden gate was shut. The gatekeeper was nowhere to be found, and still no answer came from the fortress. Durnehviir landed on his left side and Odahviing on his right, and they waited for Tarrion's command. But he waited.

"Can you sense them again?" he asked Serana quietly.

"Yes, I can." she said, and he saw a slight smile appear on her face. "They are afraid. I can sense their fear…. They are afraid. They're standing behind the gate, more than a dozen of them… not knowing what to expect."

"Good," Aela said behind them. "Then that means they will fight less."

"Be careful." Tarrion said to her. "A cornered animal is dangerous… you should know this best of all, Aela."

"True… but this is also when they make mistakes."

"Well… enough of this then." and Tarrion's voice became stronger and he shouted to all behind him. Everyone had gathered on the bridge, and they waited for Tarrion to make a move.

"Leave no Vampire in one piece! Search every nook… every room… leave no stone untouched! Bring them death!"

And in unison with Durnehviir and Odahviing, he shouted and broke the gate.

YOL TOOR SHUL

YOL TOOR SHUL

YOL TOOR SHUL

The portcullis melted where they stood, and the gate was shattered, as if hit by an explosion, and a few loud cries and screams were heard, before they were ended by the inferno that escaped from Tarrion's mouth and the jaws of both Dragons. The ground cracked under the power of the flames, and the walls of the castle trembled, and everyone behind the gate was incinerated to ashes.

Then Tarrion shouted again in a battle-cry and he drew his swords from their sheaths and he charged into Castle Volkihar. Serana came rushing behind him, and behind her came Aela the Huntress, Mjoll the Lioness, Lydia and Iona. Isran shouted as he ran through the molten gates, and rammed his hammer on the first Vampire-skull he could find.

Gregor and Argis the Bulwark were the last to enter the fortress, but as they entered, a loud roar came from the bridge. The remaining gargoyles that were not broken, came to life and closed them in, blocking the path to the outside. A horn sounded from the roof of the castle, and a great number of burning arrows and fire-spells came raining down on the boats, and they burned like torches. The smoke blotted out the sun, and the Vampires laughed again, as they saw the only escape for their enemies go up in flames. Odahviing bit a gargoyle in two, while Durnehviir flew to the roofs and burned any and all Vampires he saw.

DIIL QOTH ZAAM

The roof of the castle cracked open, and from the fissures the undead crawled. Bonemen and Wrathmen, dozens of them, came crawling from the flaming fissures, and they slaughtered anything in their path, for the Vampires were overwhelmed and their laughs had ceased as they were cut down.

Inside the fortress, the majority of the remaining Vampires was gathered, and they were still strong. But the attackers fought with such ferocity that even the Vampires could not stand against them. The death-hounds jumped at Mjoll, but with one mighty swing, she cut two in half. Grimsever was now black with blood, and she swung it, cutting her foes down with every strike. Aela had struck her shield with her own sword, and she saw that it started to glow. As a Vampire lunged at her, she ducked and rammed the shield against her attacker's chest, and he with a loud shock, he flew backward and broke his neck on the ceiling. Lydia burned the undead Vampires wherever she saw them, and they fled before her, for her eyes glowed as her enemies burned after every strike.

Argis saw how Gregor was knocked away by a gargoyle and he ran to his friend. Without even using his shield, he tackled the beast and crushed it under him, and Gregor severed its head.

"It seems like we're in for an interesting fight after all!" he said while he helped Argis on his feet.

Tarrion and Serana fought together and he slammed Orhjolf on the ground, breaking his back, and Serana cut Vingalmo's hand as he tried to grab her.

"You were one of us!" he shouted at her.

"I was." she said to him, and drove her dagger in his throat. "But no longer."

"Where is Harkon?" Tarrion asked her.

"I think he's…" she started, but then they heard a terrifying scream coming from a room near them. Tarrion ran to the door and down a few stairs, but he arrived too late. He saw a female Vampire standing over the dead body of Agmear. The young Nord had his throat ripped open, and blood gushed from the wound. The entire floor was drenched in the blood from more warriors and from several thralls, and all of them lay dead on the ground, all with a large wound in their throats, as if they were ripped out. The Vampire looked at Tarrion and smiled. Agmear's blood was dripping from her mouth, and her teeth were red with it. Tarrion saw why she was called 'Bloodmouth'.

"Have you come to help your little friend her?" she asked him and her voice was almost maniacal. "I'm afraid you're a little too late."

She licked her lips, and her eyes flared at him. "But I am still not satisfied…. So please come… sate my desires. You look like you can be very tasty."

"… You bitch!.."

"How rude." she smiled. "Come then, love… let us dance."

"So you want to dance?" Tarrion asked and he placed his swords on the ground, and he saw that she stood in the middle of all the blood on the floor. "Then dance!"

He shot lightning from his hands through his swords, and he electrified the floor. Fura was electrocuted by him and her body twitched and shook uncontrollably and the entire castle echoed with her screams. But Tarrion did not stop. He kept the lightning flowing and he did not blink while Fura's entire body started to char and her eyes burned in their sockets. Then Tarrion finally removed his swords, and Fura fell dead, and he spat on the ground.

Serana led Tarrion to a separate area of the castle, to a large door.

"I think he is in here. This is the cathedral…. It is the only place where I think he might be."

"Alright…" Tarrion panted. "but… before we go in… I want you to know…"

"Don't…" Serana looked at him and he saw that she knew what he would say. "Just…"

"I just…" and he sighed. "I love you…"

"I know." and she gave him a slight smile.

"Good."

And he kicked the door in and stepped into the cathedral. Serana followed him and as soon as they walked through the large doors, they slammed shut behind them. Harkon had shut them in.

The cathedral was a large room, with several pillars and balconies that were connected to the floor with stairs. A large stained-glass window behind an altar-like structure gave light the room, and Tarrion saw that the sun was blotted out by the smoke from the boats. They saw Harkon standing next to a large altar, and his face was no longer smiling and confident. His eyes flared in rage at both of them, and he held his hands like claws next to him. When he spoke his voice was calm, but Tarrion could hear it tremble with anger.

"Serana my darling… I see you still prefer keeping a pet."

"You know why we are here." Serana's voice also trembled, both with anger and grief.

"Of course I do…" Harkon said. "You disappoint me, Serana. You have taken everything I provided for you and thrown it all away, for this… pathetic being."

Tarrion saw Serana's eyes open wide in shock, like she couldn't believe what she heard. "'Provided for me'?... Are you insane? You destroyed our family! You've killed other Vampires… all for some prophecy that we don't even understand!... no more, I'm done with you." and she stepped next to Tarrion. "You will not touch him!"

Harkon was clearly about to burst from anger, but he still kept himself in check. "So… I see this little Dragon has fangs…. Your voice drips with the venom of your mother's influence. How alike you've become."

"No!" Serana shouted. "Because unlike her… I'm not afraid of you. Not anymore."

Harkon ignored her and now stared at Tarrion, and his eyes flashed even brighter. "And you…. It seems I have you to thank for turning my daughter against me. I knew it was only a matter of time before she would return with hatred in her heart."

"That hatred for you was born from your neglect." Tarrion said, and he felt his own voice and body tremble with anger.

"A small price to pay for the betterment of our kind."

"Your 'kind' is a blight on this world!"

Harkon sighed, like he was bored of hearing it. "Yes, yes… Always the 'noble' Vampire-hunter… but what happens after you kill me? Is Valerica next?... Is Serana?"

"No… Serana is too important to me. I will never hurt her."

It looked like something snapped in Harkon, because Tarrion saw a muscle pull in his face, and his expression turned even darker. "Then my daughter I truly lost! She died the day she accepted a 'mortal' in her life. But I am done with you, and speaking to my traitorous daughter. I will give you one chance to turn over the Bow to me…. There will not be a second."

Tarrion had the bow on his back, and it looked like it flared in protest to Harkon's threat.

"Never!" Tarrion shouted, and Harkon shouted back.

"Then you leave me no choice!"

Harkon now fought with Tarrion, and he was faster than any foe Tarrion had ever faced. Just to keep up with his strikes, Tarrion was forced to shout again.

SU GRAH DUN

But even with the speed of the wind in his arms, Harkon landed many a strike on him, until Tarrion's body was dripping with blood. Then Serana appeared behind Harkon and drove her knife in his back, and Harkon shouted in pain. He rammed Serana back and she fell against a pillar, giving Tarrion enough time to drive his sword through Harkon's gut. With another loud scream Harkon disappeared in a cloud of mist and bats and reappeared near the altar.

"Auriel's Bow will be mine!" he shouted, and suddenly he was surrounded by a massive shield of red light. Tarrion felt himself slowly weaken, and Serana shouted at him.

"Use the Bow!"

Tarrion grabbed the bow from his back and fired one of the arrows that Gelebor gave him, and the shield shattered with a flash of golden light. Harkon fell to his knees and looked more furious than ever.

"If you want to kill me… THAN YOU NEED TO TRY HARDER!" and with a burst of red light, he transformed. His face moulded in a monstrous, bat-like visage, and his hands and feet formed into claws. Tarrion had seen this before, when Harkon had offered his blood, but now he seemed ever more unnatural. He had become larger than before, and now towered above Tarrion and he seemed to be almost eight feet tall. His skin had turned grey, and with a flap of his wings he jumped high in the air, and hovered above them.

"You are fools!…you will not survive to see the end of this day!"

He summoned two gargoyles and several skeletons crawled from the ground. Tarrion and Serana were now heavily outnumbered, but neither of them had plans of giving up. Serana summoned a gargoyle herself, and Tarrion summoned two dremora.

"There you are, weakling!" they shouted, and Tarrion Shouted at Harkon.

FUS RO DAH

But Harkon disappeared again in a cloud of mist and bats, and the shout blew a hole in the ceiling, dropping piles of rock and stone on the ground. Harkon reappeared behind Tarrion, and clawed him over his back and Tarrion dropped his sword in his pain. Serana jumped at her father, and gave him another large cut over his back, and Tarrion Shouted again.

TIID

He only needed a little bit, and he ducked under another claw, and gave Harkon a massive uppercut against his jaw, and then grabbed his head and rammed it against the wall. But the Shout wore off, and Harkon grabbed him as well and threw him against the wall, away from him. Tarrion slammed into the wall and felt himself being covered with more rocks, as they fell from the ceiling. He had enough of it, and he felt himself growl in anger.

Harkon now fought with Serana, as his gargoyles and skeletons were being cut down by Tarrion's dremora and Serana's gargoyle, but he was stronger than her. He was in his Vampire-Lord form, and thus he was faster and stronger, and he grabbed Serana by her throat, and rammer her against a wall.

"How does it feel, Serana? That all you have ever had, is taken away from you? Take one last look at your friend, my daughter…. Because I will tear his body apart, and you will watch and weep."

"You will do…. no such thing!" Serana panted, as he choked her.

"You have failed, and nothing will change that!" he said to her.

But then they heard a massive roar, that was so loud, they almost felt the ground shake. Before Harkon could react, he was thrown away and was slammed hard into another wall. Serana fell to her knees and looked at how her father was thrown across the hall again and he slammed on the altar. She saw at what, or who, did this and she felt a combination of fear and relief.

A huge Werewolf stood a few feet away from her. Its skin and fur were black, and its teeth were bared. The only reason she saw that it was Tarrion, was by the many scars that were still visible across his body. His face was now brutal and wolf-like and his eyes glowed bright red. He towered even more above her, and was over eight foot tall, standing on his hind legs, and he clawed over the wall, sharpening his claws.

The Vampire-Harkon stood up, and he looked at the giant Werewolf that now stood next to his daughter.

"The mutt is out…" he growled, and his voice was no longer human. "now we have a fight."

But his smile faded as soon as the Werewolf roared again, and with a single leap, he jumped on Harkon and started clawing on him. Harkon was still faster, but Werewolf-Tarrion was stronger. Serana dared not interfere, for the two titans had become a storm of fang and claw. Harkon clawed Tarrion over his chest, and he bit him in his shoulder.

Then Harkon tried to jump away and he flew over the altar that stood underneath the large stained-glass window. But Tarrion jumped after him and together they crashed through it, into the light of the day, and they crashed on the rocky beaches. Tarrion landed on top of Harkon, and while holding him down with his hind paws, he grabbed Harkon's wings and broke them. The monstrous Vampire screamed a terrible scream, and the few men and women that were outside, covered their ears. More of the attackers now gathered outside and they stood on the bridge and watched at the titanic battle between Harkon and Tarrion, and it was the most terrifying battle they had ever witnessed.

Aela watched at how the large Werewolf was cast aside by the Vampire, and she knew that Tarrion was the only one that would stand a chance. She knew that she could not help, for both of them moved too fast for a well place arrow, and anyone that would come close would be rent apart.

Tarrion was wounded, and he felt that several of his ribs were broken, and massive lacerations now covered almost every part of his body. He limped, leaning against a rock, and he saw that his enemy was wounded too. Harkon's wings hung broken and useless on his back, and his skin was rented on several places. But he also saw that Harkon was wounded less than him.

But Tarrion roared again, and while gathering his strength, he charged at Harkon, dodging a large orb of red light, and he bit Harkon across his chest. And Harkon screamed again, and his black blood gushed from his body. But he threw Tarrion off him, and fired another orb of red light, and this one hit its target. Tarrion's skin was ripped from him and felt his life being sucked out of him, as he fell limp against a large rock, unable to move. He saw how Harkon walked up to him, and on his monstrous face, he could see a slight grin of victory.

But then Harkon's face chanced. He looked surprised and his face was moulded in a painful grimace, and he looked down. A golden arrow now pierced his body, and it came out his chest, right through his heart. Blood flowed out the wound, and Harkon turned around, reaching to something Tarrion could not see, for his vision became blurred.

"No.. Serana…. Your own father.."

And then his body burst into red flames, and his skin melted off his bones, until his skeleton stood in a pile of red ashes. It made another slight twitch, and then fell apart on the ground, and Harkon of Castle Volkihar was no more.

But Tarrion now lay on the ground, feeling the salty air of the sea. His body started to shrink back to normal form, and his vision became more and more blurred. The last he saw was a dark silhouette, with two glowing eyes looking at him. He heard that she said something, but couldn't hear what. He felt a slight touch of her hand on his, and he knew who it was.

"…Tarrion…" he heard vaguely, and the last thing he felt before a deep darkness took him, were two soft lips pressed against his.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

Stay tuned for the next and final Chapter of the Dawnguard Storyline. I got nothing else to say for now :'(

Dragon Language Used:

 _Lok Vah Koor: Sky Spring Summer (From the Clear Skies Shout)_

 _Jol Toor Shul: Fire Inferno Sun (From the Fire Breath Shout)_

 _Diil Qoth Zaam: Undead Tomb Slave (Durnehviir's Undead Summon Shout)_

 _Fus Ro Dah: Force Balance Push (From the Unrelenting Force Shout)_

 _Su Grah Dun: Air Battle Grace (From the Elemental Fury Shout)_

 _Tiid: Time (From the Slow Time Shout)_

PS: I am Dutch (From the Netherlands) so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar, please let me know.


	21. Kindred Judgment 4

Kindred Judgment part 4

Tarrion woke up to the smell of grass. He tried to open his eyes, but he knew not how. He only felt his hands lying on something soft, when he thought about them. He breathed in deeply and tasted the scent of something nice, and cool. He tried to get up, but it was as if he needed to find out how his body worked. He lay on his chest and now also felt the soft touch of grass on his face.

Finally he was able to open his eyes, and he saw a field in front of him. A slight breeze made the grass wave gently back and forth, and he saw the slopes of grey mountains in the distance, and eternal snow covered the peaks. A gentle touch of the grass made him realize he was somewhere peaceful.

He tried to force himself up, and his entire body started to hurt, like his muscles were never used before, which he found strange. He found himself wearing nothing, but for some reason, he did not mind. He got up and sat on the grass, and looked around. On all sides he was surrounded by plains filled with green grass, and it waved in the breeze. He saw mountains around him, but the mountains in front of him, were lower, and he saw a pass leading between two high peaks. Behind him the mountains encircled him, and he thought that he had to go through the pass. As he tried to get up, he found his legs hurting, like he had never used them before.

As he looked at his own hands, feet, arms and legs, he saw that there was nothing about them that seemed off. He saw that he was muscular, and a few veins were visible on his arms, and his legs looked strong, and the pain he had felt before was gone now. His body was completely naked, but he saw that he was alone, and only the wind made a sound. He saw his large chest, and felt that he had a slight beard.

"Where am i?" he asked himself. "What is this place?"

Slowly he started to walk toward the mountain pass. The grass tickled his legs, but was not sharp on his feet. The more he walked, the higher the grass came, until it reached over his waist, yet he hardly seemed to feel it. It simply waved past him, gently stroking past his waist and legs.

After what seemed like only a short walk, he reached the pass, and saw that the path was even, and the grass flowed through it like a green river. A gentle breeze came from the other end, and Tarrion walked through it, looking up to the mountainous walls and the sky. The sky was clear, and not a single cloud was to be seen, and the stars shone clear, but the night had not fallen. Every nook and area where Tarrion looked seemed to be illuminated by itself, and there were no shadows. Everything about this place seemed strangely familiar, and yet he could not understand why.

After another short walk, or maybe it was a long hike, he did not know, he came out the other end of the pass. More fields, meadows and hills were ahead, and far in the distance, he saw a city. He saw that it was made from white stone, and it was high, but it was too far to see it clearly. As he walked ahead he saw someone sitting on a large rock. It was a woman, and she had long black hair that reached over her shoulders. A slight golden glow came from her, and it made the rock look pale. She sat there motionless, like she was meditating, and Tarrion saw that she was wearing armour.

The woman apparently heard him coming, because she turned around when he neared her. She stood up and jumped off the rock, and walked toward him, with a gentle smile on her face. There was something about her that seemed familiar and just like this place itself, Tarrion felt that he had seen her before. The woman apparently recognized him too, because her smile faded and she stopped walking toward him. She stared at him for a few moments, but then she laughed and ran toward him. Her long, black hair waved behind her as she shouted his name.

"Tarrion!"

He still felt confused by the feel of this place, and he was surprised that she recognized him, even though she seemed familiar to him.

When she was right in front of him she jumped around his neck, like he was a long lost friend, and he fell backwards with her on top of him. She laughed and looked at him, and as he saw her brown eyes, he remembered who she was.

"Katria?"

She smiled and nodded.

"I'm so happy to see you again." she said to him, and her smile was perfect. He felt a slight smile on his face as well, and yet he still understood nothing of it all. He remembered who Katria was, but he also knew that there was something different about her… something he did not remember.

Katria climbed off him and helped him up, and suddenly she looked surprised.

"You… you're naked…" she said, and she held her hand over her mouth, and Tarrion saw her face turn red when her eyes glanced down.

"…Yes…" Tarrion said, still confused. "It would seem so." And despite that he was naked in front of a woman, he felt not embarrassed.

"I'm sorry…" Katria said, and she blushed. "I… I know I'm not supposed to be happy that you're here, but…. But I still am."

"You're not supposed to be happy?... How so?"

"Well… you being here…. That means you're dead."

Tarrion felt only confused, but not shocked. He was dead?

"I'm sorry." Katria said. "I forgot… everyone is always a bit confused when they come here. But don't worry, that will pass. They always ask me where they are, and then I direct them that way." and she pointed at the city in the distance.

"So… where am I then?"

"Where do you think?" she asked smilingly. "You're in Sovngarde."

And suddenly Tarrion remembered why he recognized everything here. He had seen it before, when he used the portal in Skuldafn to get here and fight Alduin. His eyes opened wide, and he started to look around. He started to remember more and more of everything he saw, and he remembered Katria more as well. He saw the city in the distance, and realized it was not a city at all. It was Shor's Hall, and he now even saw a small part of the massive bridge made from massive bones, rumoured to come from a Leviathan. He saw the plains outside Shor's Hall and even the place where he killed Alduin and where he was send back.

He also remembered Katria. How he helped her find peace by finding the Atherium Forge. How her ghost spoke to him in Arkngthamz, and how she told him of how she died. Of how she was unable to find peace until she proved that she could find the Forge. He remembered her.

"I see you're still a bit confused." Katria said, and Tarrion nodded.. "But you start to remember more things, right? Well, I shall ask you more, and then things will start to come back."

Tarrion nodded again, and walked to one of the large boulders and Katria walked behind him. But when Tarrion climbed on the rock, Katria hesitated. The grass had covered Tarrion's waist, but now he stood higher than the grass.

"Ehh.. Tarrion?" she stammered, and she blushed again. "Are you sure… you eh… don't want to… you know… sit in the grass? I mean… to, ehh.. cover your… well… your delicacies?"

But Tarrion ignored her and sat down and crossed his legs. The rock did not feel cold on his skin. It actually felt warm and comfortably soft… much softer than Tarrion would have expected. Katria climbed up and sat next to him. It was quite clear that she felt a bit uncomfortable with Tarrion sitting naked next to her, but he did not mind. Whether this was because he was in Sovngarde, he did not know.

"So…" Katria started. "What do you remember before you died?"

Tarrion scratched his head and tried to think.

"I… I'm not sure… I think I fought someone. But I don't remember who he was. But why are you wearing armour, and am I naked?"

"Because I died while I was wearing this." Katria said. "Remember? You saw my body… and when you searched my for my journal, I asked you to not search every part of me.

"Oh… yes…. I remember. So I died while I was naked?"

"Apparently…" and Katria blushed again and smiled. "I have to wonder who you had to fight, while not wearing any armour… or anything for that matter."

"Yea…. Me too…"

"Alright…" Katria said. "so you were killed… he must have been powerful. But do you remember why you fought him? Or what he looked like?"

"I… think he was an evil man…. But he wasn't exactly a man… I mean, he wasn't really human. He had… grey skin, and… wings. Bat-like wings, and a… monstrous face."

Tarrion started to get a clearer picture of what he remembered. He saw indeed a large, monstrous figure standing in front of him, with large fangs, and claws for hands and feet. Then suddenly he remembered.

"He was a Vampire!" Tarrion shouted.

"A Vampire?" Katria asked. "Are you sure? They look just like humans, right?"

"Yes, but this one was different. He was a powerful Vampire, and when I fought him, he had transformed himself…. Kind of like how a Werewolf transforms, but instead of a monstrous wolf, he became a monstrous bat. And I now also remember his name! It was Harkon!"

Tarrion felt his head hurt. The sudden memories that now returned started to ravage his head, and he grabbed his head.

"Are you alright?" he heard Katria ask.

"Yes… I'm fine. Just the memories start to come back. I think I was killed by this Harkon, but something doesn't make sense. I remember that I saw him die. A golden arrow pierced his heart, and he reached out to someone… but I couldn't see who. But I… I remember that he said something…."

"What did he say?" Katria seemed more interested, and she stared at him. her brown eyes were fixed on him and he closed his eyes, trying to remember it.

"I think he said…. 'No… Serana… your own father'…"

"Who is this Serana?"

"I'm not sure…. I think she was…" but then he shouted in pain. All the memories of his past actions came back, and he grunted in pain and fell on his back. Everything he had done in the last week came back to him and he saw who Serana was.

She was the daughter of Harkon, and she had helped Tarrion fight him. She was not like any other Vampire. He remembered the travels he had made with her, the things they had done together… and he remembered that he loved her. He remembered that night at Fort Dawnguard… how she grabbed him for a long kiss, and how he had run his hands over her back. He remembered that moment in Ancestor Glade, when they admitted to each other what they felt.

"Tarrion!"

Katria stood over him and she looked him in his eyes. She had a scared look on her face, and Tarrion sat up straight.

"Serana…" he whispered to himself. "She… I loved her… I still love her."

He looked at Katria and he felt himself become scared.

"You loved a Vampire?" Katria asked him.

"Yes… she is unlike any other Vampire. I travelled with her, and I…."

He could not find the words, and he stared at his hands. He remembered everything, and how he had made her a promise.

"I promised her that I would not leave her alone." he said, and he felt tears in his eyes. The pain of her loss to him ripped his heart apart, and even in a place like Sovngarde, he felt the pain as a physical hurt in his body. "I promised her… 'even if all the armies of Oblivion would stand between us'…"

Katria looked at him and she lay her hand on his shoulder. "She must be someone special."

"Very special." Tarrion said. "She… I love her. Does that say enough?" and Katria nodded.

Tarrion could no longer sit on the rock and he jumped off and started to walk through the grass.

"I gave her my word that I would never leave her. And I intent to keep that promise…. Not just because I promised it, but because I want to stay with her… I…. I don't want to be here."

Katria lowered herself off the rock and walked to him. "I'm afraid that not even the Dragonborn can defeat Death. You died Tarrion…. And that is not your fault."

"You don't understand!" Tarrion said to her and he looked at her with desperation in his eyes. "I love her more than anything in the world…. More than this place…" and he sighed. "Have you ever felt something like that for anyone?"

Katria opened her mouth, but said nothing and closed it again. She shook her head.

Tarrion felt a tear crawling down his cheek, and he knew that he would never find peace here. He knew that not even Sovngarde could give him peace. He sighed and fell to his knees. The grass now stroke past his shoulders and face, but it was no longer a soft, gentle touch. It now felt irritating and Tarrion could no longer see the beauty of it. Katria kneeled in front of him and looked at him.

"I'm sorry…. But… maybe… just maybe… Tsun can help."

"Tsun?" Tarrion asked.

"Yes, you don't remember him? He send you back last time too, right? Maybe he can help you again?"

Tarrion looked at her, and in her brown eyes he saw pity. He remembered Tsun from when he defeated Alduin, and Tsun had send him back after the battle.

"I mean…. It doesn't hurt to try." He heard Katria say. "Maybe he can-"

But Tarrion grabbed her and pressed her against him. She had given him hope and he hugged her. Her hair stroke past his chin.

"Ehh, Tarrion… your ehh… I can feel…. My leg is touching you on your…."

Tarrion let her go, and he saw that her face had become red again, and he smiled.

"Thank you for telling me this…. Thank you for giving me hope."

"Ah, well… it was nothing." She stammered and she blushed more.

Together they ran over the fields and meadows of Sovngarde, and neither of them felt any fatigue, or their muscles becoming weary. Katria ran next to Tarrion and she remembered the time when she was alive. The time when she an Tarrion were searching for the Forge and the grand adventure that it was, and she felt better than she had felt in ages.

They reached the bone bridge that lead to Shor's Hall and Tsun stood watch. He saw them running toward him and he recognized them both.

"Welcome, Katria." he said with his deep voice. "You have already proven yourself, and you have free entry to the Hall."

And he turned to Tarrion. "And you have proven yourself tenfold already, Tarrion. You have but to ask, and I will be honoured to test you once more. But I see that you come for a different reason."

"Yes," Tarrion said. "I need to ask you to send me back."

Tsun's face changed, from happy to surprised, and then to sad. "I am sorry, Tarrion… but I cannot. I have sent you back once already, and I cannot return the dead. The first time you were still living, when you entered Sovngarde, but now… you are as all who are here. You no longer belong on Nirn."

"You don't understand." Tarrion tried to explain. "I have to go back, and you have to send me back… I left someone on Nirn, whom I love deeply. I have to go back to her."

"As I said, Tarrion. I cannot. I am forbidden to do so, by decree of Shor-"

"Then Shor is wrong!"

Tarrion shouted, and his voice echoed over the calm plains of Sovngarde. He felt anger boil up.

"I have saved the souls of all mortals!" he said. "I have killed Alduin, and freed Sovngarde itself! Without me nobody would be able to enter the Hall of Valor… without me the souls of all mortals would be lost. Both Men and Elves and Orcs alike. All of them!"

Tsun stood in silence, and he looked at Tarrion. His calm face had faded, and he now saw an enraged Dragonborn standing in front of him, and he knew that this was the one that destroyed Alduin. Katria now also looked at Tarrion, and a slight expression of fear was on her face.

"I never asked for anything in return!" Tarrion continued. "You send me back once, indeed, but I never died! So I did not belong here in Sovngarde, and you know that! All of Sovngarde owes me…. All of Nirn owes me, and yet I never asked for anything in return! Now I do; Send me back!"

Tarrion felt the anger course through him, and he knew why. The thought of never seeing Serana again was driving him mad, and he would do anything to make sure that never happened. He knew there had to be a way to return to the living, and he knew that Tsun was the only one that might know a way.

Tsun had remained silent. All of Sovngarde had remained silent, and even the wind had died. The stars still shone, but they now seemed cold, and distant. Tarrion heard a deep rumble coming from the mountains behind him and for a moment he was afraid.

Tsun took a deep breath and looked up to the sky. He seemed to think, or listen for a few moments, and then he nodded and sighed.

"Very well then." and he turned to Tarrion. "You have drawn the attention of someone else, and He would like to speak to you. Walk back to where you woke up. He awaits you there."

Tarrion looked at Tsun for a few moments, and he saw that he did not smile. Like it was not a good thing what Tarrion had to do. Nonetheless, Tarrion turned around and walked back. Katria wanted to follow him, but Tsun forbade her.

"This is for him alone, Katria. You cannot accompany him."

And so she stayed behind and Tarrion now walked back through the high grass and back to the mountain pass. The grass now no longer stroke his legs, but it felt wrong, and it stung. The stars seemed cold and distant and the wind had died out. He knew not what would happen, or who he would meet, but he knew that whoever it was that he would meet, he was powerful.

After he passed through the pass, he arrived back at where he woke up. Nothing about the place had changed, and yet Tarrion felt something else. A deep cold, and yet it was not a freezing cold. It touched his skin, but he felt warm inside, and slowly, without Tarrion noticing it, a slight fog surrounded him.

"It seems you do not like this place."

A voice sounded behind Tarrion, and it was a deep voice. Tarrion turned around and saw someone unlike any other man he had ever met.

The man looked like he was old beyond the count of years, and yet his face was young. He had a long white beard, and white hair came from under a helmet. The helmet was shaped like a wolfs-head and Tarrion saw its fur move in the breeze that now blew again. The man was tall, taller than Tarrion and looked down on him, but his eyes were not kind. He looked fiercely at Tarrion, like a father would look at his disobeying child. The man was wearing silver armour, with a long, grey cloak made from wolf-pelts. A large sword hung from his waist and he held a staff in his hand.

Tarrion stared at the man, and he did not know what to say, but before he even thought about what he would say, the man spoke again.

"I have built this place for any and all, and not since the beginning of the world has anyone turned his back on it. You have lived your life in Nirn, the life that only exists because of Me, and yet you dare to ask for more?"

His voice was pure power, and Tarrion felt the ground shake at every word. The man looked down on Tarrion, and seemed to be angry.

"How dare you? You want to go back to your mortal life, to someone who is not even alive! You speak of her as if she were human, but she is not, and you know this. She will never be human again, and yet you want to go back. I have seen many brave fools walk the World, but I think you are the worst."

"Then you are mistaken."

Tarrion's voice sounded small and petty compared to the man's voice, but he was not about to be scorned like a child. And every word the man said about Serana, seemed to anger Tarrion, no matter who he was.

"You are wrong in saying that she is not alive. Yes, she is a Vampire, but she cares more than anyone else I have ever met, and I am not about to justify my love for her to someone who has no idea of who she is."

"How dare you!" the man shouted, and he struck his staff on the ground and the whole of Sovngarde quacked at the impact.

"No mortal has ever spoken out against me! You are a fool, Tarrion Dovahsebrom, and you no longer deserve to be alive! You will not return."

"And this place will never be my home!" Tarrion shouted back. "I don't know who you are, but I do not care. You do not know of who I am, who she is, nor of what I feel for her. And if you think that this place can replace my love for her… than you are the fool!"

The man said nothing as Tarrion shouted those last words, but his eyes flared with anger. It was clear that the man was about to burst in anger and fury, but right before that happened, a slight and cool breeze came blowing over the plains, and the man calmed down. Tarrion suddenly felt the pain of his loss course through him and he fell to his knees, and for the first time in his entire life, he wept openly. Tears rolled from his eyes, and dripped on the ground as he was kneeling in front of the man. His entire body shook uncontrollably and he felt only grief. His anger had disappeared like snow in the sun, and the only thing that was left was grief and loss.

The man now looked at Tarrion, and he no longer saw a stubborn child. He saw a man, who had just lost the thing he cared for most. The breeze had calmed him, but it was the sight of Tarrion weeping for his lost love, that made him feel pity.

"Please…. I beg you…" Tarrion pleaded while the tears still crawled over his face. "Whether by your will or not…. There is no place, in Mundus or beyond, that can stop my longing to go back to her. There is no place that can bear me hence… from her."

The man had stood in silence thus far, but now he moved. He looked up to the sky and felt the breeze in his beard, and he smiled slightly. He nodded.

"You mortals have always fascinated me." he said and his voice had become kind. "You were made by us, and yet you are so different from us. The way that mortals love… it is something that even we will never fully understand."

The man sighed, and Tarrion looked up and thought about what the man had said. 'You were made by us' and his eyes opened wide.

"I have decided." the man said before Tarrion could react. "You were right when you said to Tsun that you have never asked for a reward for saving the souls of the mortals. You were right that both all of Sovngarde, and all of Nirn, owes you thanks…. And for that reason, and for the love you feel for her… I will send you back."

Tarrion's eyes opened ever wider, but the man started to fade away, as did all of Sovngarde, and a deep white mist enveloped him. He heard only the voice of the man echo through his head.

"I will give you this one reward… the only reward you shall receive from me. And be careful, Tarrion Dovahsebrom…. For the next time you die…. there will be no return."

NAHL DAL VUS

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

That is the second chapter with a fade-to-black…. Or in this case a fade-to-white, but oh well. I hope you liked it, and it turns out, this is not the last chapter. There will be one last chapter to wrap up this arc, and then we're done.

Who or what this man is, some of you might have guessed it already, but more will be explained in the next chapter. I do hope you sat through it, with all that gibberish and talking and feeling and weird stuff that happens. Tarrion walking around, completely nude and all might have been weird, but whatever.

Stay tuned for the next chapter!

 **Dragon Language Used:**

 _Dovahsebrom: Dragon of the North (I kinda use it almost as Tarrion's last-name. But you can say it is his title)_

 _NAHL DAL VUS: Living Return Nirn (the Shout Tsun used to send you back after you killed Alduin)_

 **Characters:**

 **Katria:** Nord woman whose ghost you meet during the quest 'Lost to the Ages'. Nice woman, and I always feel a bit sad when she finds peace…

 **Tsun:** Nord God of trials and the 'gatekeeper' to Shor's Hall of Valor. You must pass the Warrior's Test (defeating him in combat) to enter. He also sends you back to Nirn after you kill Alduin and gives you an extra shout.


	22. Kindred Judgment 5

Kindred Judgment part 5

She had sat there for almost a day straight, motionless. She had refused help, refused food or water, even a kind word, for nothing anyone would say had any effect. She only stared at the bed where he lay, her vision blurred by tears. She had not taken her eyes off him, since yesterday, and although everyone said that there was nothing left to do, she wouldn't hear it. She felt powerless, broken, shattered even, and more alone than she had ever felt. Being shut away by her own mother, the indifference from her father, the fifteen-hundred years of being sealed away… it was all nothing compared to what she felt.

Serana's clothes were torn and her hair had fallen over her face. Since they had come back from Volkihar Castle she had not cared one bit for how she looked. Her hair was still as black as always, but now it was also dirty, and her clothes were still damaged and many parts of it were covered with dried-up blood and dust.

Someone knocked silently on the door.

"Serana?" the voice asked gently. "Are you-"

"Please…. Just leave me…"

Her voice was soft, and the bitter grief was clearly heard.

"You… you have been there for almost a full day, Serana. You have to-"

"I don't have to do anything." she answered, and her voice was still stripped of any will or strength. "My life is over now…. Everything is gone… I am alone, so please… leave me."

The person behind the door did not move immediately, but after Serana heard a deep sigh, the person left.

For a quick moment Serana took her eyes off the bed, and looked at the door. She had locked it the moment she was alone, and hadn't opened it since. She glanced around the room and saw that she was surrounded by nothing. A large two-person bed stood against the wall opposite the door, and on either side there was a small cupboard. Two large wardrobes stood next to her, and the pale morning light shone through the windows on the bed. She sat on a simple, yet soft wooden chair next to a round table on the left side of the bed, and she faced the door. She hated how the room looked. Everything was in perfect place, and the chair felt soft and was cushioned with soft wool. She felt anger boil in her as she saw how the room stood in sharp contrast with her mood. She felt the urge to throw the table to the wall and rip the wardrobes off the wall, but she lacked the strength to do so. All life that was still in her had faded… had died with him.

She stood up and walked to the bed. Her hands were shaking and she almost fell after the first step. Every part of her body was weak and robbed of any strength she had. She couldn't even cry, for she felt too tired as she walked around the bed. She almost couldn't look at him as she sat on the soft matrass, next to his chest. He lay there motionless, lifeless.

She tried to open her mouth to say something, but it took her all of her remaining strength to do so. Her jaws felt painful as she opened her mouth and her cheeks felt stiff.

"… I... I don't know-" she started, but she stopped when she looked at his face. The always fierce eyes were shut, and his short, black hair was now longer than it had been before. She pulled her arm up and lay her hand on his chest. It was still as massive as before, but she felt nothing. A slight part of her had hoped for the feeling of his heartbeat, but after what she had seen…. She knew it was only a false hope…. Hoping for hope.

She then fell on top of him, and pressed her face on his chest. Her tears came crawling down her pale cheeks and dripped on his skin. Her head scratched his chin and her fingers rubbed uncontrollably over his shoulders.

"I… I don't know what to do…"

Her entire mouth felt stiff and painful as she pushed the words out her throat, and more tears fell down her cheeks. "I don't know anymore… there is nothing felt for me… anywhere."

Her lips rubbed over his skin, and she felt nothing anymore as even her own senses had abandoned her. "You promised me, Tarrion… you promised me. you would not abandon me…. Tarrion, I beg you…" and her voice started to whisper, as she no longer had the strength to say the words clearly. "come back to me…. come back."

She then felt a slight tremor going through his body, and she heard a slight thump, but she ignored it for she knew that her senses had to lie. Another thump, and another, and she started to doubt everything more and more, but then she felt something else. A slight warmth came from him.

Then, suddenly and without warning she felt a hand rub over her back, gently caressing her and his chest went up and down in a deep breath.

"… as you wish.."

She raised herself above him and looked at him. His face was still the same, but his eyes were open and the deep, fierce eyes now looked at her. Her eyes were now wide open and she saw how he breathed again, but still she couldn't believe it. Her mouth was slightly open in astonishment as she saw a slight smile appear on his face, and his hand grabbed her waist. For a few moments she looked at him, and he looked at her, and when only after he blinked a few times, she felt herself beginning to smile. She touched his face, she felt the warmth that now came from him, she sensed his heartbeat and the blood that flowed anew through his body. She saw and felt how his hand took hers and he kissed it.

"You are a sight for sore eyes." he said.

And she fell on him again, but now she had regained her strength. There was nothing else that existed for her now… only him and her. She pressed her lips against his and she felt him kiss her back, and she felt a deep warmth enter her body. She grabbed hold of him, and she did not let go.

"Serana… your crushing me…" he said, but she ignored him. She felt new tears flowing over her face, but now they were tears of joy. Once again she kissed him and pressed her face on his. She had grabbed his head, running her hands through his hair, and she felt his hands on her waist, pressing her body against him and she smiled again.

Tarrion felt himself smile and despite that his body was aching all over, he did not care. He only felt how Serana was in his arms again and how her hair stroke past his face. He grabbed her tightly and pressed his face against her neck. The feeling of her in his arms again was better than ever, for now he knew that he had almost lost her forever. A few tears now also crawled down his face, but he smiled.

After a few moments of only embracing each other, Serana helped him sit up straight. Tarrion felt how his entire body was still aching all over. He saw that several parts of his body were covered in white bandages. He felt how his entire chest felt like it had been ripped open, and his back felt like it was burning. Both his legs were numb, and his arms and hands were tingling. As he looked around he recognized the room he was in, and he saw that he was in his house of Proudspire Manor in Solitude. The room was just as he remembered it, wide, spacious with light coming down from the windows. But he cared nothing for it all, and could only stare at Serana, into her beautifully glowing eyes, surrounded by her perfectly pale face and her dark hair. She had a look of disbelief and happiness in her eyes.

"… How?" she asked. "You were…"

Tarrion could only smile at her. He was not sure if he could explain what happened, because he was not sure if he knew what exactly happened. For the moment he only felt relief and he felt like he could kiss her all day.

"I…" he sighed. "…I'm not sure... I think-"

But someone knocked on the door. As soon as Tarrion heard the voice, he smiled.

"Serana…. I'm sorry but, I-"

But Serana jumped off the bed and unlocked the door before she opened it. Jordis stood in the door opening with a confused look on her face, because Serana now stood in front of her with a wide smile on her face. Without a word Serana let Jordis in and her expression changed to pure shock when she saw Tarrion sit up straight on the bed.

She looked at him with both her eyes and mouth wide open and she froze. Her eyes seemed to tremble and her gaze went from Tarrion to Serana and back.

"Wha… but.. this cannot… how…"

She looked at Serana. "What did you do?"

"Nothing." she said and Tarrion saw her face change slightly.

"What did you do?" Jordis asked again. "This is not possible…." and she looked at Tarrion again, but he calmed her.

"Don't worry, Jordis…. She did nothing."

"But… how… when…" and she sighed again. "How is this even possible?"

They heard another few sets of footsteps, and not two seconds later Aela entered the room, followed by the twins, Farkas and Vilkas. All of them now looked at Tarrion with their eyes and mouths open, and Tarrion couldn't help himself to smile. He saw how now four of his closest friends looked at him like they had seen a ghost, and only Serana was smiling.

"What did you do?" Aela asked Serana immediately and Serana answered the same thing.

"Nothing… why do you…"

"Calm, Aela." Tarrion said. "I can-"

"No, no no." Aela said and she looked fiercely at Tarrion. "This cannot happen, so don't tell me to be calm here. You were dead. You cannot be alive…. So how is this even possible?"

Tarrion sighed again. He pushed himself further up to sit a bit more comfortable. "I will explain all, you have my word. But… I feel that my throat is dry and sore, and… I'd like a bit to drink first."

Serana almost flew out of the room and came back before anyone could blink with a mug filled with clear water. She came sitting next to Tarrion and looked at him with her eyes staring at him and a smile on her face. After Tarrion had emptied the mug he sighed again, still with everybody staring at him. Most of them were confused, but Aela looked like she did not trust him, and Serana had a look in her eyes that could only be described as love and admiration.

"Ahh… where to begin?" he started and he sighed.

"Well… what happened to you?" Aela asked. "Do you remember what happened?"

Tarrion nodded. "I remember fighting Harkon, and he threw me against a rock and fired a red orb of light at me. I felt my life being sucked out of me and he walked toward me." Tarrion remembered again, and he saw how Harkon walked to him, smiling in victory. "But then, a golden arrow pierced his chest, and he turned around. But then everything became black before me, and the last I saw was you."

He looked at Serana and he saw a smile on her face. The other stood around his bed and all looked at him as he talked.

Tarrion explained how he woke up in Sovngarde. How he refused to stay there and how he eventually asked Tsun to send him back. In everything, he did not include Katria. At first he did not even realize it, but after a while he knowingly did not. He thought that the meeting he had with her was something that not everyone should hear of.

"Wait… Tsun?" Farkas asked. "The god of Trials?"

Tarrion nodded. "Yes. He guards the way to Shor's Hall of Valor. He stands watch as the gatekeeper and guardian of Shor's Hall, and much is known to him. When I went to Sovngarde to kill Alduin, Tsun was the one that sent me back to Nirn. I had hoped that he would be able to send me back again. But he was not able to." and Tarrion sighed. "He said that he could not send back the dead, and that I could not return."

Tarrion remembered how he became angry with him. How he told Tsun that he never asked for anything in return for saving the world. How he never wanted a reward for killing Alduin, and how he had saved the souls of all the mortals.

He sighed again. "I remember Tsun standing there. He was not angry, but he looked at me like I did not understand. But then, a deep rumble came down from the mountains behind me. Tsun looked up and it was as if he answered someone. He nodded and told me to go back to the place where I woke up, and that I would meet someone there. So I went back."

"Who did you meet?" Jordis asked.

Tarrion did not answer directly, but first thought about it. He still was not entirely sure of who that man was, but he only thought he knew.

"I am not sure." he said. "I… I think it was Shor himself."

"You what?" Aela asked, and she looked at him almost in fear. The others looked shocked and their mouths fell open, and even Serana was astonished by this news.

"S-Shor?" Vilkas asked. "Thé Shor? The god of heroes? The god that is responsible for the creation of the world?... The one that represents Sovngarde?… the god that-"

"Yes, Vilkas." Tarrion interrupted him. "That one."

"Oh.. a-alright." Vilkas stammered. "Just making sure."

"What did he look like?" Jordis asked.

"Well…. He was tall. Much taller than anyone on Nirn. He had a long white beard and long white hair… and yet, he did not seem old. He looked… timeless?" Tarrion was not sure how to describe what he saw, but he thought it wouldn't make a difference. "He was wearing a helmet like a wolfs-head, and he had a long cloak of wolf-pelts. A large sword hung from his belt and he had a staff in his hand. His voice…. His voice was raw power… I…. I know the power of my own Voice, but I felt small and nothing compared to him." Tarrion sighed again, and he remembered the feeling he had when he stood there on the fields of Sovngarde. "I felt a deep cold surrounding me, and yet I felt warm inside. At first he looked at me like I was an ignorant child… someone who still does not understand the reality of what has happened."

Tarrion stopped for a moment. He was not sure if he could tell them everything, and he decided that he would tell them some of it. He explained how he and Shor talked, and how Shor became angry with Tarrion, but when he started to beg and plead, Shor calmed down.

"I'm not sure, but I felt a warm breeze flowing over the plains, and I felt my anger fade away, and so did Shor. We both calmed, but I do not understand why. I asked, no… begged him to send me back. Eventually he smiled on me and decided to give me what I wanted. He told me that I could go back, the only gift and reward that he would ever give me. Then a white mist enveloped me and I was sent back. The next thing I remember… was you."

He smiled as Serana and she smiled back. He knew that if the others were not here they would grab hold of each other again, but now they held back.

"But what about you?" he asked them. "What happened after the battle. Is everyone alright?"

Aela started explaining, and the twins added a few things when she would forget something. Tarrion learned that after Harkon died the battle was over. Only a handful of Vampires were remaining and they surrendered, hoping for mercy. But Isran had decided that nobody would survive, and all Vampires were killed, even while they had already surrendered. Tarrion felt a muscle pull in his face when he heard of the merciless act, but he was not surprised. He had not expected Isran to show mercy to Vampires, and he was not sure if he would have. Aela told him of how Durnehviir had suddenly disappeared and how they, after making rafts, managed to come back to shore.

Vilkas then explained how Fort Dawnguard was also attacked, but by only a small force of Vampires, and they were outnumbered. They were defeated easily and there were no casualties there. Aela did say that both Agmaer and Celann were killed in Volkihar Caslte, and Uthgerd and Mjoll were both wounded. Iona was bitten, but she was cured before she was turned. The wounded were immediately transported to Solitude where several healers, herbalists and mages were there to help them. Tarrion learned how Colette and Danica had nursed him.

"So they know of… you know?"

But Jordis shook her head. "Danica doesn't. She had to help others, and it fell back to Colette. She does know that you died."

Tarrion sighed and looked at them all. He trusted every single one of them, but he felt not entirely at ease.

"Who else knows?" he asked and Aela summed up.

"We do… Colette and Lydia. We hadn't spread the news just yet… mostly because we didn't want it to be true. But after a while people started asking questions…"

"After a while?" Tarrion asked. "For how long was I… dead?"

"Four days." Vilkas said.

'Four days?' Tarrion thought to himself. "And you all stayed here? All of you?"

He suddenly felt overwhelmed by the loyalty and love from all of them. He knew that they were all his friends, but the fact that they stayed for four days after his death almost brought tears to his eyes.

"You are the Harbinger, so…" Farkas grumbled with a smile and Tarrion chuckled.

"But, wait… you said that Lydia also knew of my death." Tarrion mentioned. "Where is she now?"

"In the temple of the Divines." Aela said. "She has been praying to Mara and all the gods for days now."

Aela chuckled. "I must admit… I first thought her to be naïve… praying and all. But it seems she proved me the fool. I'll go and get her. I'm sure she will kill us if we don't tell her immediately."

Aela left together with Vilkas, while Farkas and Jordis stayed, but after a few minutes Jordis noticed the awkward silence. She saw Serana looking at Tarrion, but Tarrion looked at Jordis. The gazes he gave her told her all she needed to know and she nodded. And so she pulled Farkas away and left downstairs.

As soon as the door closed Serana jumped back on the bed and grabbed hold of Tarrion. Tarrion's entire body was still aching, but she did not hold back. She grabbed every part of him she could get her hands on, and Tarrion did not mind. He also felt the relief of feeling her again, of having her back in his arms.

After a few minutes she leaned back and smiled at him, and he stroke her hair from her eyes. He could not express what he felt in words.

"I cannot say how glad I am to see you again." he said and he smiled at her. "You look terrible."

Serana gave him a playful slap on his head.

"I know… I just… I couldn't bring myself to do anything." and Tarrion saw the echo of the battle in her eyes and her smile faded a bit. "You fell unconscious, and…. I was so worried about you…. They tried everything they could, but… they said that they weren't sure if you would make it. Your wounds were huge, and you lost a lot of blood. You were bitten several times, so they also thought you would get infected… they fought that, and…"

But Tarrion hugged her again. Serana had begun to talk faster and erratically, and Tarrion heard in her voice the pain of watching it all. He saw that she had been beside him while he lay dying and she was there when he died in the end. He began to understand how it must have been for her, and he thought that she suffered more than him.

He felt her calm herself in his embrace and she rubbed him over his back.

"So, yes…" she concluded. "My clothes are dirty and torn…. I guess I can throw them away…"

"Is that an invitation?" Tarrion asked teasingly and he grinned at her.

She looked at him for a few moments, realizing what he meant, but then she smiled seductively. She leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"Why don't you help me and find out?"

Downstairs they heard a door slam, and they both knew who was coming. They heard the quick steps of someone coming up the stairs and Serana stepped off the bed, and for a moment Tarrion saw a slightly disappointed look in her eyes. But before he could say anything, the door almost flew open and almost broke against the wall. Lydia stood in the doorway and had an expression of pure shock on her face as she looked at her thane. For a few seconds she stood there with her mouth open and her long, brown hair had fallen over her face, and Tarrion chuckled.

"Are you going to stand there, or are-"

But he was interrupted as Lydia stormed in and almost dived on him in an embrace. Tarrion flew back on the bed with Lydia lying on him, and he heard her sob.

"My thane… My thane, you're back… thank the gods you're back."

Tarrion tried to calm her, but it seemed only to tighten her grip around her thane. She refused to let go of him and only when Serana finally intervened, did she pull back.

"Come, Lydia." Serana said. "You're about to make me jealous."

Lydia looked up and for two seconds she stared fiercely at her.

"I know him longer than you, so I have every right to do this." but then she fell around Serana as well and to Tarrion's surprise, the two young women embraced each other. He saw how Lydia started to cry and tears were visible in Serana's eyes as well. Tarrion sat there with two crying women standing next to his bed, and he was confused. He thought the two of them didn't really get along, but after they let go of each other, they explained how that was in the past.

"You were right, my thane-"

"Tarrion!"

"Eh… Tarrion…. But.. yes, you were right. When you asked me to trust you, and try and give Serana a chance, you were right. She has indeed proven herself, and has shown that she cares for you… and us all."

"I see…" Tarrion said, still confused but smiling. "Well, good that you two are now friends."

"We all are now."

He sighed again and looked around. The room was still the same as it always was, and he saw that the sun was starting to climb down. He smelled the soft and nice smell of fresh flowers and he heard a soft tune coming from one of the windows. It seemed the Bards College was busy and he thought he heard the gentle voice of Pantea Atia. He saw how both Serana and Lydia looked at him, smiling and he let out another deep sight, and this one was in relief. He had never felt as good as he felt now.

Not even the glory of Sovngarde, would be able to best this.

=End of Chapter=

=End of Arc=

* * *

=Authors's Notes=

And that was the final Chapter of the Dawnguard Questline. *Deep sigh* Now we have at least that. I do hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Tarrion is alive and well, the threat of the Vampires is gone, his relationship with Serana is going better than ever, Serana and the others seem to be friends…. What more can you possibly wish for?

I do have to tell you that I will take a planned break. The Dawnguard Questline complete is a milestone that I wanted to make for a while now. The problem is now that I am out of stuff to write for this fanfiction. I have ideas,… plenty of them… but I have to work those ideas out a bit more. I don't have enough to make a full arc out of those ideas just yet. So, with that in mind, I will take a break from this fanfiction.

That does not mean that I won't be doing anything, as I have another fanfiction elsewhere, called 'Fate of the Fateless', a fanfiction for the videogame 'Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning'. You should check it if you want.

But for now, I will bid you goodbye.

 **New Characters:**

 **Pantea Atia:** Master vocalist of the Bards College in Solitude.

 **Danica:** Danica Purespring, healer and priestess of Kynaereth in Whiterun. Gives you the quest to restore the Gildergreen tree.

PS: I'm Dutch (from the Netherlands) so if there are any mistakes in spelling/grammar please let me know. (this will be the last time I write this line. You should know it by now :)


	23. Small Update

A SMALL UPDATE; (I forgot to write this in the last arc…. I'm stupid)

Since I will take a break from this fanfiction, I will tell you a bit of what I am working on for now. The following stories are in my head and I have to work them out much more before I can turn them into proper arcs and stories.

(in random order, so no idea which one comes first)

 **Blood Moon Rising:** Serana starts to struggle with her Vampirism, and Tarrion tells her of a way to give it up. Serana sets out to find it, and to find out what she truly wants. Tarrion thinks it is fair to tell Valerica of Harkon's death. In the meantime, the Blood Moon, feared by Werewolves, is approaching. (I want to address the issue of Serana's Vampirism... no idea what will happen here)

 **Forging the Past:** Serana opens up about how she became a Vampire and how her family was during that time. Tarrion tells of a grand adventure he had while investigating an old Dwemer Ruin.

 **A New Leader:** The Greybeards have lost one of their members, and now call for Tarrion to help them find a new and trustworthy member. (still in early stages of development.)

 **Dragonborn:** Story of how Tarrion and Serana are attacked by some cultists who claim that the True Dragonborn Miraak comes. The two travel to the island of Solstheim to investigate what this all means.

 **Lands Unknown: (- not sure if I keep this name)** Serana and Tarrion want to go on a journey to get away from all the troubles in Skyrim and spend some time with each other, without worries. A large storm cuts that plan short and they land on a large and abandoned island... Or so they think. (DUN DUN DUNNN). (I do hope that this will be several arcs long, so I got some thinking to do here :)

For now I will work on my own book and the other fanfiction for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. My book is long overdue. I wrote the five arcs for this fanfiction, while only finishing half of a chapter for my book.


	24. Blood Moon Rising 1

**So, I'm back. This break did not last as long as I expected, but oh well. I just can't stop writing this. I just really want to continue the story, because my head just keeps circling around the ideas I have for it. Also i would have started last week, but i was on vacation and there was no internet :) I do want to say a few thing before I start:**

 **First off, I'd like to explain a few things that I will do different now.**

 **It bugged me in the previous Arc that I described the trip from Fort Dawnguard to Volkihar Castle as a three-day trip. I looked it up again, and I realized that this was indeed slightly ridiculous. From now on I will make the world a much larger place, and thus the cities also larger. From now on the distances will be: (As the dragon flies, not as the Thalmor walk)**

 **Nort to south (like Dawnstar to Falkreath): 300(ish) miles**

 **East to West (like Markarth to Riften): 600(ish) miles.**

 **So the trip from Fort Dawnguard to Castle Volkihar would take about a month(ish): (walking 5 miles/hour… 6 hours a day)do the math :) On horseback it would take less of course, since horses have much more stamina and endurance. It is still not as big as the world should be, but for me it is a bit difficult to go from a trip that takes like three hours in-game, to a trip that will take a full month. With these distances i can have realistic-ish distances, and yet keep everything compact enough.**

 **I will try to make any battles more impactful and the size of the armies will also be bigger. Still certain factions, like the Companions, will not be increased by a truckload. We will still have the standard characters in the Companions, plus maybe three or four more. The College of Winterhold will be a different story, but we'll get to that when the time comes.**

 **Secondly; since this break was shorter than I thought, I will probably take breaks between Arcs. Just to give myself some time to figure stuff out a bit more.**

* * *

 **Blood Moon Rising part 1**

 _-Lakeview Manor; Falkreath-_

Serana woke up from a long and peaceful sleep. When she opened her eyes she noticed that the sun was already up, but that it was not nearly mid-day. She stroked a lock of hair from her eye and turned around only to see that she was alone.

She was in a large, wooden bedroom with a large bed and small nightstands on either side. The room was twelve by twelve metres, and a perfect square. A desk was pushed against one of the walls opposite the bed, next to a large double door. The rest of the room was filled with a few wardrobes and closets for clothing, several bookcases filled with dozens of books and chairs surrounding a few small tables, and two extra, very comfortable chairs stood in front of a fireplace. A few large and beautiful rugs with red and green were on the floor, while two chandeliers hung from the large wooden beams in the ceiling. On either side of the bed, above the nightstands were large, stained glass windows from which golden light fell giving the room a warm feeling.

The bed itself was a true work of art. The soft feather matrass was a huge relief from the hard surfaces that Serana had slept on for most of her life, and the soft covers were warm against her pale and cold Vampire skin. The headboard was made from carved wood and leaves and imagery were visible in it. Even the legs of the bed were from carved wood. The bed was extraordinary large, being almost three metres long and two metres wide, and Serana had joked that she could get lost under the covers.

As Serana stood up she grabbed a long night gown from the closest wardrobe and put it on. For a moment she focused her senses and knew where to go. She left the room and walked down the hallway to the large staircase that led to a large hall. The house consisted almost entirely out of wood, except for the main floor and a few fireplaces spread out across the house. Also both basements were made from stone, but with wooden supports. The stone floor was mostly covered with rugs and tapestries, so Serana did not feel the cold stone against her bare feet. She heard some rummaging in the kitchen, but ignored it as she knew it was not where she wanted to go. She knew it was Tarrion's housecarl Rayya, making a late breakfast, something that was almost standard for the last few weeks. She walked past a large dining room and pushed a door open that lead outside.

She saw him from a distance, although the sun blinded her. She knew that by staying in the shadows, even in mid-day, she wouldn't feel the pain of the sun. She stayed inside the house, standing in the door opening so that the sun wouldn't touch her.

She saw that he was wearing his old hunting trousers, and a pair of simple yet sturdy boots. His entire upper body was exposed, which was not strange in this weather, and in the warmth of the sun she saw how he sweated as he lunged the axe down and split a large piece of wood in two. She had seen him chop wood before, and every time she would just look at him. His muscles flexed with every strike, his arms almost three times as thick as hers, his massive chest going up and down as he panted and his strong hands wielding the axe with strength and skill. Serana found herself growing warmer every time she saw him like this, with sweat glistening on his body. She saw the massive scars on his back and arms from the fight against her father. They still covered his entire back. Huge lacerations that were healed with extreme effort had left massive lines over his back and chest, and his arms were covered with more scars than ever.

She wanted to walk toward him. To hug him and stand there in the warmth of the sun, yet she knew it would not feel pleasant for her. The sun would burn her skin and ultimately scorch it black, and her eyes would be blinded. She knew that it would hurt her, and yet the desire to walk into the mid-day sun just to hold him was almost overwhelming. Yet the sun stood between her and him, almost as a physical barrier holding her back, and she turned around.

It had been three months since her father Harkon was defeated by them. Ever since that day, she had not left his side, and he had not left hers. The only time they had been separate was when he died, and there had been only a few moments when she took her eyes off him since then, a part of her being afraid that something would happen to him. But the days turned to weeks and they had been quiet and peaceful ever since. Serana had turned her back on Volkihar Castle and her old life. She left it all behind, and moved in with Tarrion. They now lived near Lake Illinalta in Falkreath. The large mansion that Tarrion had built for himself here proved to be an amazing and warm home. Serana had found herself change, and for the first time in hundreds of years she felt alive.

And yet there was still a part of her that reminded her of her tragic past. Something that, every day, reminded her that she was not really 'alive'. Something that reminded her that there was something keeping her and Tarrion apart, and Serana knew full well what that was. Despite everything, she was still a Vampire. A creature of the night, one that feeds on the living, one that is by nature dead, one that does not know the feel and touch of mortals. The living.

And over the last few months she had found herself to be in pain because of it. Her life had changed, and yet she had not. She still felt the cold touch of her own skin, the burning light of the sun, the stares she got from others. She knew well that Tarrion did not care in any way that she was a Vampire, and she was grateful for that. But she slowly started to care herself. She felt that there was some part of her that did not belong there… in a warm house… with Tarrion.

Over the last few months she started to realize something. During her entire life, the whole time that she was a Vampire, she knew that it was expected of her, and she never knew otherwise. It had been a part of her for years beyond count, and she had never regretted what she was…. But now she started to question that. She started to realize that she had a choice, a chance to live life on her own terms. A life that she wanted to live, not ruled by others, not controlled by her father or her mother… a life of her own… a life with Tarrion.

After another heavy strike, another piece of wood split in two. The ground was littered with splinters and on his left, Tarrion saw a large pile of logs fit for the hearth. He was about to grab another piece when he stopped. He felt that he was being watched, and he turned around. He saw no-one, but a part of him thought he saw someone leaving the doorway that lead to the house. He lowered his axe and looked up for a few moments.

The last few months had been amazing. There were no troubles in Skyrim anymore and he started to think that the land might finally know peace, although a small voice in his head said that that was impossible. That there would always be trouble for the Dragonborn to solve, always there would be something for him to do. His responsibilities as Dragonborn, Archmage, Harbinger and thane of every hold would keep him busy for the rest of his days.

But this hadn't stopped him from enjoying some time off. To stay and rest in Falkreath, to sleep until noon, and to stay with Serana and have nothing to worry about.

He sighed in happiness, thinking that life was good, and he rammed his axe into the large stump that he used when chopping wood for the hearth. The skies looked clear and it seemed like it would not rain for the rest of the day. He left the pile of logs and walked back inside. He immediately smelled the food that Rayya was cooking and felt his mouth watering. He had made her his steward in a heartbeat and found out very quickly that that was a good idea. The Redguard woman turned out to be not only a formidable fighter, but also a good cook, just like Lydia and would often grab recipes that were made in Hammefell. The food she had made thus far never failed to amaze Tarrion and even Serana, being a Vampire, said that she liked every single one of them. She meant this, although Tarrion knew that normal food would not nourish her. She would still need to feed on blood, but he had not minded, and neither did Rayya.

As Tarrion walked up the large staircases and down the hallway that lead to his bedroom he saw that both doors were closed, and instead the door to the guestroom was ajar. He was surprised by this, since it was hardly ever used, and he peaked through crack.

He saw that the room was dark, as all the windows were covered by curtains. He knew Serana was in the room, but he did not see her, and a small ray of light fell from the crack in the door.

As Tarrion opened the door and walked in, he saw Serana sitting on the bed with his back to him. Despite that he could not see her face, he knew that she was struggling with something, and thus he closed the door, thinking that the conversation that would follow was private. It was not completely dark in the room, and only after his eyes had gotten used to the darkness, he was able to see anything. Half feeling, half seeing he moved toward the bed, and felt with his hand where Serana was. He touched her shoulder and proceeded to sit next to her. He felt her body make a slight shake as his hand touched her, but she did not move away, and he drew hope from this. He waited a few moments before he asked, as he did not know what it was that bothered her, until he asked.

"Serana?... What is it?"

She did not answer immediately, but instead slowly turned around, and despite the darkness, he could see that her eyes were wet with tears. They were still softly glowing, and he saw a slight tremor in them. He saw the two lights go out and back on again as she blinked, and his had found her face, and he wiped a tear off her cheek.

"Tell me, dear…. What is it?"

"I… I belong here…"

Her voice was soft and weak, and Tarrion could hear it trembling.

"What do you mean?"

"I belong here." Serana repeated and she sighed. "Here in the dark. It is where Vampires like me belong."

Tarrion looked at her confused, as he had no idea what brought this on. Serana's voice had changed to bitterness now, but he could still hear the grief.

"This is what I am," Serana continued and she stood up and started pacing around the room and her voice became louder. "I don't know who I am kidding… except maybe myself. I am a Vampire, a 'creature of the night', and that will not change. Maybe I should go back to the stone cold castle where I came from and live my days out there."

Tarrion had to listen closely to follow her as it was too dark to see her. He could see short flashes of her eyes, but then they disappeared again, and her footsteps were silent and muffled by the rugs. As she turned around, he looked at her with his eyes wide open, and he did not understand.

"… Serana… what is going on?... Where did this come from? I thought you were happy here."

"Well, I'm not!" Serana said loudly. She did not mean this fully, yet her frustration forced the words out her mouth. She now looked at Tarrion who could not see her expression of anger and pain on her face, but she could see an expression on his face that she had not seen before. It was one of fear. "I…. this is not your fault, yet you are part of the reason why. When I woke up I heard you outside. I wanted to walk to you, but I couldn't. Not in this weather. The sun blocks me from walking next to you and see the lake shine in the sunlight, from feeling a soothing warmth on my skin, from walking outside without wearing a hood, from doing anything outside during the day."

Her voice was still loud, but also had a tone of grief and Tarrion still looked at her with his eyes wide open in shock and fear. Serana continued pacing around the room and with every word, her eyes became wet with tears.

"My vampirism, my… tainted blood… prevents me from doing so many things that I want to do. I want to feel the warmth of the sun again without feeling it burn. I want to wear clothes that do not cover every inch of my body. I no longer want to constantly feed on you. I.. know you don't mind but I do, because it makes me feel like a leech. I want to feel the warmth of a relationship the way mortals do. I want…. I want to enjoy every aspect of a relationship the way mortals do. But I cannot."

She sighed and fell to her knees. All the energy that had surged through her now faded in an instant as she uttered those last words. Tarrion still sat on the bed and felt dejected, and he did not know what to say. He simply looked at where he last saw the furiously glowing eyes of Serana and he knew that she felt defeated as well.

"Tarrion, I know you cannot give me advice on this." Serana said, and her voice was softer again, but now not in grief, but in dejection. "I do not blame you for this, but… I need someone that can help me with this."

Tarrion stood up and kneeled in front of her. He could see her eyes glowing in front of him and he grabbed her tightly. She did not hug him back, but he lifted her up and sat on the bed again. He said nothing as they sat there in the darkness and slowly Serana hugged him back. He felt her cold skin against his and he caressed her back, pressing her body against him. Her hair stroke past his cheek and he kissed her neck.

"There is no-one that knows what I can do." Serana whispered, and Tarrion heard her grief again. "My father is dead and my mother is beyond my reach. And even if she weren't, she does not know what I feel…. There is no-one that can help me."

After a while Tarrion felt that his throat was locked.

"You said that your Vampirism prevents you from doing the things you want." he said. "From walking in the sun without fear. From walking in a city without hiding yourself, and not feed on blood anymore…. From living your own life?"

Serana slowly nodded. "…yes…"

"You say that it is your Vampiric blood that prevents you from doing all this. So… have you… ever thought of curing yourself?"

Tarrion asked it slowly and with as much tact as possible. He did not want to sound like he thought she was sick or something, but he tried to offer her a solution. He did not feel Serana respond, but after a while she pulled back from his embrace and looked at him. He saw no anger in her eyes, only a gaze that asked.

"…No…. I have not…." her voice sounded like she was thinking about what Tarrion said, and Tarrion continued slowly and carefully.

"You told me once that you became a Vampire through a ritual… You said that you were 'not a willing subject'. That it was expected of you, and that the ceremony was degrading… You said that you hate what it has done to your family…."

Tarrion stopped for a few moments, not wanting to go too fast, and give Serana time to protest or stop him, but she did not. Her eyes still had the same look in them, like she was thinking.

"I…" Tarrion started again. "I would like to ask you…. Serana, do you want to be a Vampire?"

Serana did not answer, but opened and closed her mouth a few times. That question fell hard on her, and she felt like someone put her in front of a mirror and show her what she truly felt. Like she now had to admit and acknowledge what she felt. She blinked several times over before she was able to pull herself together, but when she finally did, she still did not know what to think.

Her Vampirism had been a part of her for her entire life, and she could not imagine a different life. She had been a Vampires for so long she could not even remember her old life as a human. Everything that she was, was because on account of her being a Vampire. It was the reason why she was powerful and able to do things beyond imagining.

"…Serana?..."

She was pulled back to the here and now and her mind returned to the dark room. She saw how she sat on Tarrion's lap and how he looked at her with worry in his eyes. His deep, always calm and always strong eyes seemed to give her strength.

"I don't know." she said and she sighed. "I don't know anymore. I… I have been a Vampire my entire life and I cannot imagine it any other way, but…. My blood gives me incredible power. I am immortal, command amazing powers, I can see in the night and sense the living. I can hear anything that happens around me, and I am stronger than most people. I am almost as strong as you. But it is also the reason why so much bad has happened in my life. It is the reason why I had to flee from my own father, it is the reason why I am scorned by almost everyone. I cannot live without feeding on blood. I cannot enjoy the light of the day. I am a creature of the night… a monster as some would call me."

Serana was torn between two parts of herself. She felt both the good sides and bad sides of her blood, and it now finally reached the surface.

"… I don't know. My blood allows me to protect people… protect you… and I can survive almost any wound that is inflicted on me…. And yet, it also prevents me from feeling human, from feeling warm by myself… from doing the things that.. 'mortals' would do."

Tarrion saw the confliction in her eyes. He understood her. He knew what this confliction feels like and what she was going through. As a Werewolf he also had his good and bad sides, but he also knew his problems were nothing compared to hers.

But Serana had decided not to circle around the question that she knew would inevitably come. She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around Tarrion's neck.

"Tarrion… would you ask of me to give up my Vampirism?"

She saw his expression change and his eyes grew wider. He looked away for a quick moment, but then he gave her a slight smile.

"I'd like to see your face first." he said and he pointed at the curtains that hung in front of one of the windows. Using Telekinesis he opened them and a ray of light fell into the room and he saw her again. Her eyes now looked at him with longing and he looked back at her with a gentle smile.

"No." he said and Serana was surprised by this answer. "I will never ask that of you. And you know why?"

Serana shook her head.

"Because I fell in love with you for who you are." he answered, still with that gentle smile on his face. "I fell in love with you, and you are a Vampire. You have saved me and helped me in more ways than you know. You are indeed powerful and if it wasn't for you, I would not have been able to survive the fight against Harkon."

Tarrion sighed again and his smile grew wider. His hand ran down to Serana's waist. "When we met your mother, and you ran away from her to hide your grief, I went after you. Not because I thought you would do something stupid, or because I wanted to get it all over with… but because I cared for you. I made you a promise back there, that I would stay with you. In Ancestor Glade I kissed you, not because I wanted to shut you up, but because I wanted to kiss you. I gave you my blood, even though it almost killed me, because I did not want you to die, and I still give my blood to you, because I don't want to lose you."

He pushed her closer to him and he saw a slight, watery smile appear on her face as well.

"The only thing I would ask of you is this: Please, make the choice that YOU want to make. Don't make this choice because of others, not because of what others might say or think about you…. Don't even make this choice because of me. Make sure that it is what you want. If you decide to stay a Vampire, my love for you will not lessen. If you decide to become human, then it will make no difference to me. I will love you then, as I love you now…. With all my heart."

And as he pulled her closer he planted a deep and gentle kiss on her lips. Her skin had always felt cold to his skin, but he had never cared for it. His heart had always beat faster when she was around, and now, as it almost felt like it was the very first real kiss that they had shared, with her body pressed against him with only a nightgown between her skin and his, and her arms around his neck, it started beating even faster. Tarrion leaned back and fell on the bed and Serana's hands caressed his naked chest and ran over the scars that he had. She kissed him back, warm, passionately and gently and he felt her fangs through her lips. With one hand still on her waist, he ran his other hand over her back and through her hair.

They lay there for what seemed like hours, even though it was only a few moments, not having a care in the world, until they finally let go of each other. Serana looked at her love and she felt tears of joy welling up in her eyes. She knew that there was not a single man in Tamriel that would help her the way he had helped her and there was no-one that would love her like he loved her. And she knew that there is, was and will never be one that she will love more. She felt her entire body grow warm with his embrace and she looked into those deep, strong eyes and she knew that they both wanted the same.

They heard a knock on the door and Rayya called them. She said that she had just finished cooking and it was standing ready. Both Serana and Tarrion felt their faces change from exited to disappointed. Serana stepped off the bed and walked to the door, with her head down. The feeling she had a moment ago was now gone. She left to put on something easy and comfortable, as she had thrown away her old clothes. Tarrion simply grabbed a tunic and they both headed downstairs.

Both of them felt occupied with their thoughts during the time they ate, and if either of them spoke, it was only briefly. But Serana knew that she would have to make a choice. She knew that it was time for her to decide what she truly wanted. Live a life as a human. Or live on the way she had for countless years, as a Vampire. Which of the two she would pick was something not even she knew.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

So, they're getting 'C'-blocked again. I do hope I explained Serana's issue with her Vampirism here well enough. But this is just chapter one, so more stuff will happen later.

Also, technically Serana never said that she 'was not a willing subject' when it comes to her Vampirism. But since she is not sure if she regrets it or not, and since her mother pointed out that 'Serana wouldn't have dared to turn her back on it', I think it is fair to think that she was not entirely OK with becoming one.

 **Characters:**

 **Rayya:** Redguard housecarl in Falkreath Hold. Totally possible to make her your steward for your house there. She is a capable fighter, with the same voice as Aela and a buttload of other characters.

 _No other languages used_


	25. Blood Moon Rising 2

**Blood Moon Rising part 2**

 _-Northwest edge of Whiterun Hold-_

Slowly but steadily the two rode over the roads to the north of Rorikstead. Both of them were clad in dark cloak with a hood. Underneath that, she wore light, flexible armour, with sturdy gloves. He wore different clothes, as he was clad in sturdy clothing, but with plated steel on his shins and lower arms. Both wore this when they would go on longer journeys, as it offered protection, and yet did not restrained any movement. They knew they were nearing the Reach, and thus getting closer to Forsworn camps. But neither of them feared the Forsworn. It was the Forsworn that needed to fear them.

They had passed Rorikstead not too long ago, but they didn't stay there for the night, but instead rode on. And now, as the night was falling they rode silently, next to each other. Far in the distance they could see small lights flickering.

'A Forsworn camp.' Tarrion thought.

They decided to stop and seek cover for the night under a large overhanging rock and make a small camp there. They tied the horses to a nearby tree and leaned against the rocks. As he looked at her he could see her eyes slightly glowing. He found them beautiful and calming, and every time he looked in them he saw love.

"Are you sure about this Falion guy?" Serana asked.

"I am." he nodded.

"And you know for sure that he knows what he is doing?"

"Yes, I do." he nodded again.

"Alright, if you say so…"

Tarrion could hear the hesitation in her voice, and he thought he understood why. It was not something trivial what Serana was about to do. It was something life-changing.

Last week the two of them had a long conversation about her. Serana had explained to Tarrion what she felt, and Tarrion explained to her that it was completely normal for her to feel conflicted. And he had offered her a possible solution.

Serana was not sure anymore if she wanted to remain a Vampire. All her life she had been a creature of the night, and a part of her wanted to stay that way. It was the only life she knew and remembered and she could not deny that her Vampirism had saved her on too many occasions, not to consider it. She knew that she was what she was, a Pure Blooded Vampire, in heart and soul. And yet, during the last few months, a small part of her started to want something different, and that part had become stronger and stronger almost every single day. That part, that started only small, now shouted in her to become human again. To give her Vampirism up…. become mortal… to really live once again. She had ignored it for as long as she could, but no longer. She knew that she would have to make a choice, even if it were only to end her own impasse. But it was more than that. She wanted to make a choice… she wanted to know for herself what she truly wanted… which side she would pick… who she truly was.

Tarrion had listened to her for hours, only nodding and mumbling when he understood. He had listened to her as she explained, let her rage as she felt her anger boil up, and comforted her when her emotions became too much. She had poured her heart out to him and he had listened to every word she had said, trying to understand her as best he could, until finally, after she explained everything, he had offered her advice and a possible solution.

"I know of only one man that might be able to help you with this." he had said. "His name is Falion. He is a powerful wizard who lives in Morthal."

"How can he help me then?" she had asked him.

"Falion is an expert when it comes to Vampires, and he even knows of a way for Vampires to become human again. He has studied Conjuration magics for longer and more than anyone else in Skyrim, and he even claims to have met with Dwemer. He can help a Vampire to become human again, and he knows what that will mean for that person. He knows the consequences of that choice and what it will do. If anyone can help you to better understand your choice… it is him."

Serana had long thought about those words and ultimately she decided that she would meet this Falion. She discussed it with Tarrion and he decided to go with her, but she initially turned him down.

"I know you want to come with me, and I'm glad that you do, but… this is something that I must do alone. I'm sorry but… I just have to do this… for myself."

In the end, Tarrion promised to help her to get to Morthal, but would then return home, where he would wait for her. And so, after another day, they left for Morthal. They grabbed two horses and now journeyed to the north, to the hold of Hjaalmarch. The journey would take long but neither of them was in a hurry. Serana took her time and wrestled with her thoughs, and Tarrion would be with her, and help where he could.

They both sat close to each other, but they did not light a fire, as it would only attract unwanted attention, and so they waited. Tarrion had his eyes closed as he tried to sleep, and Serana tore a few grass blades from the ground only to drop them again.

"Tarrion?"

"Hmm?" he answered and he opened his eyes.

"I… I don't know how long this will take… but… what will you do?"

"What will I do when?"

"While I… do my business in Morhtal, what will you do? Will you wait back at home, staying there with bated breath?"

Tarrion chuckled. "Acutally…. I, eh…. There is something that I wanted to do. I wanted to ask you but, I guess I forgot about everything else for now."

"What will you do then?"

"Well.." Tarrion hesitated and he scratched his head. "I do have to ask your permission for this…. Because… my plan is to go to Castle Volkihar."

Serana furrowed her brow in surprise. "What? Why?"

"Well…. With your father gone…. Do you think we should let Valerica know?"

Serana had no answer to this. It was true that without Harkon, Serana's mother Valerica could come back from the Soul Cairn. Serana had completely forgotten about it and now thought about it. It came a bit as a shock, that she forgot about her own mother, but after reconsidering again, she knew it wasn't that strange.

"I'm sorry, Serana." Tarrion said quickly. "I know I should have asked you sooner. I… I'm sorry. Maybe we should talk about this after all this is over."

But Serana shook her head. "No… I understand. We have indeed never even thought about it. I… I don't know what we should do."

She looked at him. In the dark she could see him perfectly, and she saw the worry and concern on his face.

"Do you think we should let her know?"

Tarrion took a deep breath before he answered. "If I may be so honest…. I think yes. After all that has happened in your family…. I think it is time for something good to happen. Valerica has stayed trapped in that accursed place for centuries…. So I think, for once something good can happen, for her as well."

Serana felt a slight smile appear on her face. Tarrion's voice was hesitant and yet resolved. She saw that he wanted the best for her, and even for her mother. She saw someone that cares, Vampire or not.

"Thank you." she said and she came sitting next to Tarrion, placing her head on his shoulder. She felt safe with him, and as he wrapped one arm around her, she felt his warmth again.

He gently caressed her arm and she lay her head in his lap, looking up at him and the stone walls. He gently played with her hair and she felt his warm hand against her cheek. It felt soothing, and she quickly felt her eyes grow heavy, and after a while she fell asleep.

 _-The next day-_

After a short walk they reached a crossroads. Three roads came together here, and a small sign gave directions to the major towns that were nearby. It read 'Morthal' to the east, 'Solitude' and 'Dragon Bridge' to the north, and 'Rorikstead' to the south. They would split up here, Serana heading east and Tarrion heading north.

Both Tarrion and Serana felt nervous about it and Tarrion felt his heart beating faster as they stepped off their horses. He knew that today might be the last day he would see Serana as a Vampire, even though he knew not if she would indeed become human. Serana still did not know what she really wanted and she still felt two parts of her at war with each other.

"So…." Tarrion said hesitantly. "I guess this is it."

"I guess it is."

Serana knew what he felt, for she felt the same. She knew that today might be the last day she would be with him as a Vampire, and that scared her. Without thinking twice she grabbed Tarrion and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her and she was lifted up. She felt his warm body pressed against her own skin as she pressed her face in his neck. This was likely the thing she would miss the most. His warm touch and the heat of his body had always exited her and it did the same now.

"Are… are you sure you don't want a last sip of my blood?" he asked.

"Yes…" she said and she kissed his neck.

They stood there for a few moments until they let go of each other.

"Just… be safe, alright."

"I will be. And… you look after yourself too."

Serana took a step backwards, and Tarrion wanted to say so many things to her. He wanted to tell her that he loved her… that she didn't need to do this… that, no matter what happens, he would be there for her… but he knew it would not make a difference, for she knew already. Serana nodded one last time and mounted her horse and headed eastward, while Tarrion stayed behind. The sun was rising in the east and she donned her hood, blocking the painful rays.

Tarrion watched as she disappeared in the distance and he felt conflicted. Half of him wanted to run after her, while the other half said 'no'. He knew this was a journey she had to make for herself, and he could not help her with it. He sighed again, letting it go, and mounted his horse. He took one last glance before giving his horse the spurs and headed north.

He rode fast, feeling his blood boil in his veins and he did not stop until he was far away from the crossroads where he left Serana. In full gallop he rode past lone camps and a courier had to step off the road to avoid being trampled by him. It wasn't until many miles later and the north-eastern mountains came closer when he reined in his horse. He followed the road further northeast and after a while, when the sun started to climb down he saw the town of Dragon Bridge in the distance. From where he stood, the massive stone bridge was only a small line across the massive chasm and the river below.

As Tarrion followed the road he noticed how the sky was darkening. Dark clouds came in from the west and he knew that he had to move before it would burst, and he donned his hood. His horse was panting as well and so Tarrion took it easy. He decided to rest at the Four Shields Tavern, the inn in the middle of the town.

A small hour later he crossed the large bridge that was built over the ravine, and he slowly rode into town. He saw a small group of Imperial soldiers standing near end of the bridge and he was approached by one of them.

"Hold there! Who are you and what is your business in Dragon Bridge?"

Tarrion said nothing but simply removed his hood, and the soldier immediately saw who he was.

"Forgive me thane. I did not see it was you."

"Don't worry about it." Tarrion said. "I will rest at the inn and I'll be gone as soon as the night falls."

The soldier made a small bow and let Tarrion through. As he rode past the houses he always had the feeling that there were more soldiers than citizens in Dragon Bridge, but that was not unusual. The town was home to the only Penitius Occulatus outpost in Skyrim, and so there would always be an Imperial presence in the town. But a part of him told Tarrion that it felt a bit different this time. There was nobody outside, and even if there were, they would only be out for a few seconds before running back inside.

As Tarrion approached the tavern he saw that it was mostly empty, for there were no horses stabled outside. He found this strange, but that was only for a few moments. As soon as he stabled his horse, and walked into the tavern he saw that the tavern was abandoned.

"Where is everybody?"

* * *

 _-Hjaalmarch-_

She slowly followed the road, lost in thought and her horse almost rode without her knowing. It simply followed the paved road wherever it lead, for it was clear that its rider had her mind on other things. She was in no rush and it wasn't until a few hours later that she reached a fork in the road. The one lead to the north, to an old fortress, and the other lead further eastward. On these small moments Serana pulled the reins and made her horse go right, before sinking back into her own thoughts. She hardly noticed how the skies were darkening and how dark, grey clouds slowly blotted out the burning sun. Only when she fully rode in the shadows of the clouds did she look up and was she finally able to pull herself back to the here and now.

"Stop right there!"

Serana looked to her left and she saw two figures walking toward her. The one that spoke had a large war hammer in his hands and his voice sounded deep and raw.

'An Orc' she thought.

The other character was a bit smaller than the orc but not much smaller and seemed to be human, and by his size he seemed to be a Nord, as Nords had a larger build than most other humans.

"Look at this, Orog!" Serana heard the man say. "It seems it is our lucky day. A young woman… and she's all alone."

"It seems so." the Orc answered and he grabbed the reins. "Are you lost, my dear? Where are you heading?"

Serana stayed calm and showed no emotion. She was surprised that neither of them had seen her eyes glow, but it was not night time just yet. She assumed her eyes did not glow bright enough to be noticeable during the day.

The Orc had stopped her horse while the Nord searched for any valuables.

"If you are looking for money or anything of value, then you are wasting your time." Serana said calmly. "I have nothing of value on me."

This was true, except for a small pouch with money to pay for hay to feed her horse. But this was hidden underneath her robes.

"Maybe," the Orc said. "but I don't believe you. I have to ask you to dismount."

Serana had no intention of doing that, but since the Orc had grabbed the reins she couldn't go anywhere, and she also knew that she could defend herself better if she were on foot. And so she pretended to obey the Orc and dismounted. She sensed how the man behind her was eyeing her, and it made her sick to her stomach.

"I will give you one chance." she said. "Leave now, and do not come back. If you stay, or lay one finger on me, you both die."

"Is that so?" the man behind her asked. "I'm afraid you picked a bad time to get lost." and he took a step toward her.

"Wrong." Serana said. "You picked the wrong one to rob."

She turned around and her eyes flared as she bared her teeth. The man saw her eyes glow and the fangs in her mouth and his skin went pale. He staggered backward and pointed at her with a trembling finger.

"Vampire!" he screamed, but before he could say anything else, Serana's dagger had slit his throat. His Orc friend grabbed his hammer, but before he lifted it, Serana had turned around and thrusted her dagger through his mouth. The Orc fell to the ground with a shocked expression on his face and his blood stained the road.

Serana looked at the two dead bodies lying on the ground, and she felt no pity for them, but she regretted what happened. As she cleaned her dagger and mounted her horse again, she felt like she was back to where it all began. Back to the root of her predicament and the main reason why she felt so conflicted. Her Vampirism had allowed her to defend herself once again, yet it was also the reason why she had to defend herself. Maybe without her Vampirism things would have been different for her, and she wouldn't be here.

She rode on and tried to understand it all better, but after another hour she was no closer to understanding it. She still did not know what she wanted, and she was slowly nearing Morthal. She knew that she could find Falion there, and that he could 'cure' her of her Vampirism, but she did not know if she wanted that. Slowly a few raindrops fell on her hood and mere moments later the rain was pouring from the skies. The weather now agreed with her mood. She decided not to extend her waiting and gave her horse the spurs.

She rode through the night, and although she felt how her horse began to tire. But she did not care. She wanted to reach Morthal as soon as possible, and end this impasse. She rode past an old shack and over a bridge. She rode through a small forest where snow lay on the ground and the branches. The road began to climb up and on her right high mountains raised up. She saw a small patrol but she rode past them.

It wasn't until many miles later when she finally reined her horse in. It was panting and Serana felt the heat that came from it. She knew that she couldn't get to Morthal in one day and she decided to look for a good place to stay. The darkness was all around her, but with her Vampire eyes, it was no bother for her. She saw everything, including a small fire that was lit far to the right side of the road, near the mountain slopes. She did not want to see what it was about, but since she wanted to stay the night as well, it was wise to know who was out there.

She carefully walked toward the light of the fire and she saw a small tent made form hides, with the fire in front of the entrance. If she were on her own she would be able to near the tent and sit by the fire without a making a sound, but now her horse made enough noise for the person inside the tent to hear them. Serana knew that her approach was no longer unnoticed and she sensed how the person slowly grabbed something. When Serana neared the fire, a small sound flew past her ear, and with her reflexes she saw that it was an arrow.

"Who is out there?! Announce yourself or the next one will be between your eyes!"

Serana froze. She had recognized the voice.

"Wait…. Aela?"

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

And that is it for chapter 2. I do hope you like it so far. The story does split up here. One part follows Serana, the other follows Tarrion. It is the first time I do this, so I hope I'm doing it right.

Stay tuned for the next chapter.


	26. Blood Moon Rising 3

**Blood Moon Rising part 3**

 _-Four Shields Tavern; Dragon Bridge-_

"Who are you? What do you want?"

Tarrion turned around and saw the innkeeper standing behind a counter. She had long, blonde hair and a young face, but her eyes were fixed on Tarrion in suspicion. It was clear that she didn't trust him, and Tarrion was confused by this. He saw that he was the only guest, so he thought she would be glad to finally have a guest, but something about the silence made Tarrion think otherwise.

"What is going on here? Where is everyone?"

"What's it to you?" the innkeeper asked sternly, but when Tarrion walked up to the counter, she recognized him.

"Oh… apologies thane. I… I did not realize it was you." and she made a slight bow with her head.

Tarrion saw in her eyes that she was shaken up about something. That, and the fact that the entire tavern was empty, made Tarrion realize that something had happened here.

"What happened here?" he asked.

The innkeeper sighed. She grabbed a tankard from under the counter and poured the mead.

"Yesterday a few soldiers came by." she said, but then she changed her mind. "I guess I should say 'bandits' instead of soldiers. They wore the Imperial uniform but nobody recognized them, and they did not seem to care about any of us. They demanded that we'd serve them whatever they asked for, and then said that they wouldn't pay. 'We risk our lives, therefore we don't have to pay', they said. And to make matters worse, they…"

The innkeeper sighed again, as if she remembered something horrible. "One of them grabbed Julienne and tried to…. Have his way with her."

"He what?!"

Tarrion had grabbed the tankard, but now he felt how he almost crushed it in his tightening grip.

"Yes…" the innkeeper continued. "thank goodness her father came by just in time to stop him. But then they beat him and gave his daughter a black eye."

With a crack Tarrion squeezed the tankard in his fist and the mead spilled. "Didn't the guards do anything?"

The innkeeper sighed and shook her head. "They came during the night, and ever since the war ended, there are not as many guards anymore…. Funny actually, at first I hated how many guards and Imperial soldiers were here, and now they're gone, I'd like them back. But since that is not going to happen, everyone is now afraid to leave their homes."

A door behind the counter opened and a young woman appeared. She was young, with short, brown hair and a deep, light-brown skin and Tarrion saw that she was a Breton. Her eyes were clear and green and she had a young and handsome face.

As soon as she saw Tarrion she recoiled, and he saw that one of her eyes was indeed bruised and black.

"Oh, Julienne my dear." the innkeeper said and she walked toward her. "Don't be afraid of him. This is Tarrion, he is a Thane and the Dragonborn."

Julienne carefully stepped into the main hall of the tavern, still looking at Tarrion with fear in her eyes, but Tarrion could not blame her. He could understand that she had been through an harrowing experience, and that she would be afraid of anyone she did not personally knew.

"Faida," she whispered to the innkeeper. "it is not working. It keeps burning."

"Still? I'm sorry dear. I don't know what else to do."

"What is it?" Tarrion asked.

Faida sighed. "It's her eye. It still hurts and it keep burning. I tried to ease the pain a bit with water, but I don't know what else to do. We need a healer, or a herbalist but they are far away."

Tarrion thought for a few moments. He knew that Julienne would not trust him, but he also knew that he might be able to help.

"I might be able to do something about it." he said. "I can use a small spell, but I can also make a small paste to put on your eye. It might dull the pain and help with the healing."

Julienne looked at Tarrion and it was clear that she did not trust him, and she looked from him to Faida.

"It's alright, dear." Faida calmed her. "We can trust him. What do you need, thane?"

"Hmmm…. Some wheat…. A few blue mountain flowers, and boiling water. Oh, and a mortar and pestle."

"I… I think we have some flowers downstairs." Julienne said with a small voice.

"Yes.. and there is also some wheat in the back." Faida added.

While the two women left to get the ingredients, Tarrion started to boil some water. He knew that the paste would not work as good as a spell, but the paste would be easy to make, so they would be able to make it themselves.

After a moment or two, the two women came back with the ingredients and a mortar and pestle. The water was not boiling yet, but Tarrion took the ingredients and grinded them fine. After he added the water it turned into a light-blue paste. The scent spread across the room and everyone felt invigorated.

"Are you sure this will work, sir?"

Tarrion looked up and saw Julienne standing in front of him, still with a bit of distrust in her eyes as she stared at the paste.

"Yes." Tarrion said calmly as he finished. "It will not heal you immediately, but the pain will dull. You can apply it yourself, if you want."

"No… it's alright… you can do it."

Tarrion nodded and dipped two fingers in the past and applied it to her bruised eye as gently as possible. Julienne flinched at the first touch, but Tarrion saw that she felt relieved afterward. The pain indeed dulled quickly and the burning stopped as well.

"The spell would be easier," Tarrion said. "but this paste is easy to make. Anyone would be able to make it, and it works for many different types of injuries. You remember what you need for it?" and Julienne nodded.

After a few moments Tarrion applied the last bit of paste to her eye. It looked a bit strange to see a part of her face completely covered with blue paste, but Julienne did not care.

"So… how does it feel?" he asked.

"Much better." Julienne smiled and she hugged him. "Thank you."

On that moment the main door opened.

"So… after you lead me on last night, you go after him the next? You are such a slut."

A man had walked in, followed by eight others, all dressed in the Imperial uniform. The first man was a bit larger than the others, yet not as big as Tarrion, and he had a vindictive and unsettling grin on his face. His hair was long and brown and his eyes were deep and dark. Julienne turned, and as soon as she saw the man, she went pale. Faida, who sat on a nearby chair, stood up and walked quickly behind the counter.

"Oh, don't worry my dear." the man said. "I won't forget you this time. Now, how about we go someplace private? But we can also stay here… if that is what you prefer."

Tarrion came standing between the men and the two women, and he had to force himself to hold back, as he felt a strong urge to Shout the men from the tavern, but he had learned to use his Voice only when needed.

"Faida… take Julienne to the next room please. You don't want to see this." he said calmly, although his voice was trembling with anger.

"Oh, who in Oblivion are you?" the man asked. "The squeeze of the day? Get lost! We have some unfinished business here."

Faida had grabbed Julienne and left to the next room, and after he heard the lock did Tarrion walk forward.

"You either leave now, or you leave in pieces!"

Tarrion did not listen but simply walked toward the leader. The man lashed out and his fist went straight for Tarrion's face. Without even blinking, Tarrion tilted his head forward and the man's fist broke against Tarrion's forehead. A normal man would not have been able to do that, but since Tarrion was battle-hardened, faced down dragons and was a werewolf, the impact felt like it was only a small punch. The man screamed in pain, but Tarrion threw him against a wall.

The other eight tried what they could, but none of them stood a chance against Tarrion who was faster, and many times stronger. None of them even had a chance to grab their weapons, and even if they did, it did not help them. After a few moments all nine of them lay on the ground unconscious. A few of them had broken ribs, while others had broken arms, and the leader had a broken hand.

Tarrion knocked on the door and the two women walked out the room and saw the bandits lying on the ground.

"How did you…?" Faida asked, but Tarrion only smiled.

"We should get the guards here. I know what we will do to them."

Faida and Julienne ran outside while Tarrion threw the bandits together in a corner. He did not care if the one sat on the other's head, for he thought that people like this deserved no fair treatment.

After a few minutes Faida, followed by several guards, came running in the tavern. Right behind her came Julienne with her father who had a pitchfork in his hand. The man had several bruises on his arms and head, but his eyes were fierce. As soon as he saw the leader of the band, he lunged his weapon at him, but Tarrion stopped him.

"We will not kill them."

"But, thane-.." but Tarrion shook his head, and the man lowered his pitchfork.

"What should we do with them?" a guard asked.

"Bring them outside the city, and strip them." Tarrion said.

The guards looked at Tarrion in confusion.

"Strip them of their uniform. They do not deserve to wear it. After that, bind their hands behind their backs, and then bind all of them together."

The guards did not know why but since Tarrion was the thane, they obeyed his command and dragged the men outside the city while Tarrion asked Faida for a piece of parchment and some ink and a feather to write a letter.

 _To General Tullius, General of the Imperial Legion_

 _And to Lady Elisif the Fair, Jarl of Solitude and Haafingar._

 _Good fortune to you_

 _These men have been found guilty of many crimes in the town of Dragon Bridge. They have been found unworthy of wearing the Imperial uniform and have dishonoured the Legion._

 _I find it hard to believe that these men are truly soldiers of the Imperial Legion, and therefore I strongly request an investigation on how they were able to acquire the uniforms. If they truly were soldiers, I suggest a dishonourable discharge immediately._

 _The charges are as follows:_

 _Dishonouring of the Imperial Legion_

 _Abuse of power_

 _Damaging of private property_

 _Theft_

 _Attempted rape_

 _Possible impersonation of soldiers of the Imperial Legion_

 _Threatening a Thane with death_

 _I trust that these men will receive punishment according to the Law._

 _Furthermore, I request additional guards to be assigned to the town of Dragon Bridge. If a small group of bandits can do as they please, the town is not defended well enough. I trust the right decision will be made._

 _Signed_

 _Tarrion Dovahsebrom_

 _Thane of Haafingar, Hjaalmarch, The Pale, The Rift, Winterhold, Whiterun Hold, The Reach, Eastmarch, Falkreath Hold._

 _Archmage of the College of Winterhold_

 _Harbinger of the Companions_

 _Legate in the Imperial Legion_

After Tarrion had written the letter he walked outside. He saw that half the town had gathered at the north-eastern gate and now laughed and shouted at the bound men. Tarrion saw that his orders were followed, and more, for the men were stripped, not only of their uniform, but of every bit of clothing they had. Now a group of nine men sat on the ground with their backs together, naked, while half the town laughed at them.

Tarrion gave the letter to six of the soldiers and instructed them to lead the men to Solitude. The guards gladly accepted, while the crowd laughed and threw a few rotten tomatoes.

Tarrion stood there with a smile on his face. But it was not in amusement. He felt happy that he could help his people again. To do his duty as a thane, which, after all, was to help the people. For a few moments he forgot about everything else and watched how the guards drove the men like cattle to Solitude. It was an amusing sight. Nine men, bound together in a circle, desperately trying not to fall being driven up the road. Quite amusing indeed.

* * *

 _-Hjaalmarch-_

"Serana?"

A familiar face popped out of the entrance to the tent and Aela's long, brown hair and war-paint were unmistakable. She looked at Serana with her brows furrowed, and her brown eyes did not seem to understand why she was here.

"What are you doing here?" Serana asked her.

"I can ask you the same." Aela said back.

Behind her, Serana's horse started to tug the reins to look for grass and Aela noticed that she was standing in the pouring rain.

"Oh, sorry. Please, come in."

The tent was small and there was enough room for only one bedroll a large backpack filled with supplies. Serana took a seat next to the backpack while Aela followed her with her eyes. It was clear she was completely surprised to see her way out here.

"So…." Aela started hesitantly. "I bet you saw this question coming. What are you doing here?"

Serana did not answer immediately. She knew this was a private matter, one that only Tarrion knew about. At the same time she knew that Aela was one of Tarrion's oldest friends and she was her friend as well, and she knew that she could be trusted.

"It… it is a personal matter." she concluded. "I'm sorry, but it is very personal."

"Alright," Aela said and she raised her hands. "I'll not pry."

"But what are you doing here then? If it is not a personal matter."

Aela gave her a slight smile and took a deep breath. "No, it's not. It is something I have to do on certain moments."

"What is it then?"

"I have to get away from the cities and any place where there might be people, because… the Blood Moon is approaching."

Serana looked surprised at Aela. "The Blood Moon?"

"Don't tell me you don't know what a Blood Moon is."

"I do know…" Serana answered. "but I don't understand why."

Aela let out a slight sigh, like she was a bit uncomfortable, but she started explaining. "You already know I am a Werewolf, right?" and Serana nodded. "Well… a Blood Moon is the worst night for a Werewolf. It happens every once in a while, but the exact date is always unpredictable. Which is one of the reasons why it is feared by Werewolves. On that night, when the full moon turns red like blood…. Werewolves lose control."

"Lose control?" Serana asked. "What do you mean?"

Aela looked at the entrance to the tent and a small ray of light from the fire shone into the tent. The rain still hammered down on the hides, but the two women stayed dry, and the warmth from the fire flowed inside.

"They go completely feral. They are uncontrollable... Unreasonable…. Unpredictable…. And unparalleled in ferocity and killer instinct. A Werewolf under a Blood Moon is stronger, faster and larger than usual. But more than that, he becomes a killer, and nothing can stop him. You cannot reason with them, you cannot talk to them and even other Werewolves cannot communicate with him. They will attack anything and anyone on their path. It does not matter if it is human or elf, beast or animal or even Dragon… a Werewolf under a Blood Moon will attack anything and anyone."

Serana listened as Aela explained. As she heard what happens to a Werewolf under a Blood Moon, she imagined a blood-lusted beast that only knows killing. A terrifying and monstrous version of a normal Werewolf, who already look intimidating.

"I know of a story where a Werewolf stayed inside a city during a Blood Moon." Aela continued and she sighed at the memory. "He killed his entire family and a third of the town before he was finally killed. He did not know pain or fear, no guilt or restraint. He only knew one thing: Kill. His own wife tried to stop him. She stood between him and their six year old daughter, but…."

Serana gasped for air and covered her mouth with her hand. "No…"

But Aela nodded. "Yes…. Werewolves have been hated and feared ever since. That is why I am all the way out here. I stay away from cities so that when the Blood Moon comes, I have a much smaller change of killing innocents."

"So… isn't it dangerous for me to be here… with you?" Serana asked.

"Ha… not tonight." Aela laughed. "It is not a full moon just yet, so you have nothing to fear. But since the moon will be full in the next two weeks, it is safe for me to be out here already. Plus I was on a hunt anyway, so I saw no point in returning to Whiterun."

Serana nodded in understanding, and listened how the rain continued to hammer down on the tent. Outside she could hear her horse trample the ground and it whinnied when a thunder was heard.

"The weather is getting worse." she said.

"Mhm. But I still have to ask you." Aela said. "What are you doing out here? I know it is personal but…. Is.. Tarrion the problem?"

"What?" Serana looked shocked at Aela. "No, of course not."

"Then what is? You can tell me. Maybe I can help."

Serana opened her mouth, but closed it again. She wasn't sure if she should tell Aela or not, but she knew she could be trusted. She saw how Aela looked at her with concern, and the same type of strength that Tarrion had in his eyes, was now in hers. Serana sighed and told Aela everything.

She told her of her problem with her Vampirism and what she came to do in Morthal. Of the confliction she felt. Of what Tarrion had said and advised her.

"I have been a Vampire all my life. I don't know anything else. This is who I am, but….. there are so many things that I cannot do."

"Like what?" Aela asked. "Beside 'not walking in the sun'. What is something that you want to do?"

"Just have a normal relationship."

"How are you not having a normal relationship with Tarrion right now?"

"…Well…" Serana stammered and a slight blush came on her cheeks. "When people are in love, they…. You know.."

Aela looked at Serana like she did not understand. But then her eyes widened and she saw what Serana meant.

"Wait!.. You want to have sex with Tarrion?... You mean you two haven't slept with each other yet?"

Aela now was completely shocked and surprised by this news, and Serana felt a blush on her cheeks.

"What do you mean 'you haven't 'yet''?"

"Oh, by the gods." Aela mumbled, and she rubbed the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes like she could not believe it.

"What!?"

"Oh, no. You are just as much a virgin milk drinker as he is."

"…I…"

"I honestly thought that you two would have broken the bed by now." Aela continued and she started to smile at how embarrassed Serana was. "You two have been living together for three months now, and all that time nothing has happened?"

"Aela!" Serana yelled and her blush became brighter.

"And he is a Werewolf! I should warn you for next spring, because all of nature will have only one thing on its mind then."

"Stop!"

"Tell me," and Aela started to laugh, because Serana's face was bright red now. "since he cannot sense you, do you sneak a peek at him when he bathes? Or do you just think of him when you lie alone in bed?"

"Shut up!"

Aela fell on the bedroll and couldn't stop laughing, while Serana was clearly too embarrassed to say a word. She covered her face with her hands and her ears were almost pink with anger, because Aela was right.

She and Tarrion would often sleep in the same bed, but neither of them ever took a step further. She did not know why, but a part of her seemed to hold back for some reason, but she could not explain what that reason was. They now felt like petty excuses, while Aela confronted her.

"Ooohhh, this is amazing and pathetic at the same time." Aela sat up straight, still with a wide grin on her face. "I knew I should have taken that bet with Lydia."

"What bet?"

"She thought that one of you would make the first move. I thought that neither of you would. Turns out I was right."

"You have been taking bets on us?!" Serana shouted outraged.

"Alright, alright." Aela calmed her. "I'll stop, I'll stop. I think I have embarrassed you enough now."

While Serana still felt that her face was red, Aela calmed herself and snickered a few last times. "I'm sorry Serana, but this is really unbelievable. You two have lived in the same house for three months and yet…. I'm sorry but I honestly thought that that would be the first thing you would do."

"What makes you say that?" Serana asked, still embarrassed.

"Oh, please. The way you look at him, and the way he looks at you. When he…. 'Woke up' again in Solitude, you couldn't keep your eyes off him, and that little puppy look on your face was difficult to miss. And the way he looks at you, well…. Let's just say I know him for a long time now, and I've never seen him like this. So I'd like to ask you again: What is stopping you? Because, unless there is something that you have not told him, there is no reason."

Serana did not answer her. She only listened to the weather outside. The rain had stopped and the soft rustling of the trees was the only sound for miles around, and other than her horse, Serana could not sense any creature nearby. She thought about what Aela said and a lot of different thoughts now echoed through her head. It was indeed true, that she loved Tarrion more than anything, and there have indeed been moments, or maybe entire days, when she wanted to grab him and strip him of his clothes. On other nights, just the mere thought of it would make her loins stir, despite that she was an undead Vampire. She knew that Tarrion thought the same about her, but she did not know if he had a reason for holding back. But she knew that she did have a reason, but this one was too personal to share with Aela.

"I see that you might have a reason." Aela said. "Well… I will not give you advice on this matter, nor on the matter of you becoming human again. I know it is not my place, and I think Tarrion has said everything there is to be said. The only thing I will say is this; If you think that your Vampirism will prevent Tarrion from hopping into bed with you, you are mistaken."

Serana now wanted to be alone. She had to gather her thoughts and think about what happened and what Aela said. Despite that she refused to give advice, Aela had already taken away one reason to give up her Vampirism. She told Aela that she needed to be alone for a while and Aela nodded.

"I understand…. But before you go; If you see Tarrion soon, warn him. The Blood Moon will affect all Werewolves, and you should be careful too. If he transforms, and you are there with him, he will attack and try to kill you. He won't be able to hold himself."

Serana nodded and walked out of the tent. Aela followed her and grabbed her bow to hunt. As Serana mounted her horse and turned to the road, she stopped and looked at Aela.

"I should warn you too." she said.

"How so?"

"If you tell Tarrion about this, about… what we discussed… I will have your head."

But Aela laughed. "I'm not afraid of you. You can't even get the man you love to drop his pants."

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

And that is part thee for ya. Here we have another reason why Serana felt so conflicted.

I hope you like the story so far and stay tuned for the next chapter.

 **Characters:**

 **Faida:** Innkeeper of the Four Shields Tavern in Dragon Bridge.

 **Julienne:** Daughter of Azzada Lylvieve. Breton, innkeeper in training. When you talk to her father, he does reveal that a soldier staying at the inn did indeed try to rape her.


	27. Blood Moon Rising 4

**Blood Moon Rising part 4**

 _-Volkihar Ruins-_

While Serana had a few last words with Aela, a door opened in the ruined passages and hallways of Castle Volkihar. The dark corridors offered hardly any place for light, and it seemed like an eternal night had fallen in this place. Large piles of rubble and debris littered the paths and hallways while lonely skeletons wandered around, making the clinking sound of bone on bone. Amidst them walked a tall, dark and hooded figure. His face was invisible in the darkness and the only sounds that came from him were his footsteps and the slight rustling of his cloak over the broken stairs and rubble. He seemed to be nothing but a ghost, a dark phantom and a presence that would terrify any man. The skeletons noticed him, but before they could even raise their axes at him, they would fall to pieces by even his simplest spells. He could hardly see a thing, yet he had no trouble walking over the stones and finding the right path.

A thundering roar echoed through the corridors and a large gargoyle jumped up, as his stony skin suddenly transformed. It roared at the stranger, but there was a flash of light and the beast was incinerated to ashes. The stranger had hardly blinked at his opponent and now continued his journey past a ruined statue.

After a few small corridors and a winding staircase, the man found himself in front of a door. He recognized the door from his last visit. It was a Blood Door which would only open through the blood of the one that made it. The man knew he could not get past it, as he did not possess the right blood, but he saw that the door was ajar, and he pushed it open and entered the massive laboratory behind it.

It was still in the same state as the last time Tarrion saw it, when he came here with Serana to find Valerica, Serana's mother. He remembered how he was astonished by the size of it, as not even the College of Winterhold had a laboratory this expansive.

It had two areas, one of which was elevated and could be reached by a set of stairs at the far end of the laboratory. The lower area was wide and had several large tables filled with ingredients beyond count, ranging from simple mountain flowers to the extremely rare crimson nirnroots. From the hives of bees to even the bones and scales of Dragons. The walls were covered with dozens of bookshelves filled with countless books. The upper area had a large alchemy setup and a large Arcane Enchanter, and there were more bookshelves and tables with more ingredients. In the days of its use, this laboratory must have been greater and better than any other that existed. But it has been centuries since it was last used, and now it was covered with cobwebs and a thick layer of dust. The books were ruined and torn or completely illegible, while most of the ingredients had turned to dust.

The only thing strange about this laboratory was the massive portal in the middle of it, which could be entered via a staircase of floating, broken stones that reached to the elevated area. From the massive portal, blue flames spewed endlessly, and as Tarrion walked past it, it sounded like soft echoes of cries came from it.

When Tarrion reached the top of the stairs that lead into the portal he looked down into the blue flames. He remembered the first time he tried to enter it, and how the flames tried to drain him of his life. But now, as he slowly neared the portal, the flames did not harm him. They almost seemed to welcome him back, a feeling that was a bit unsettling.

Tarrion waited before he took the last step. He had come all this way, and yet he still had no answer to the question he had at the beginning of the journey. What would he tell her, and how would he tell it? He stared into the blue abyss before him and took a deep breath. He knew that beyond it was the undead realm of the Soul Cairn, a realm that was dreadful, disgusting and a true horror for all who dwell there. But he knew he came this far to go on, and after he closed his eyes, he stepped through.

* * *

 _-Hjaalmarch-_

Serana was lost in thought again. She had said goodbye to Aela and now returned to the road that would lead to Morthal. She knew that it would be a long journey, at least a full day, and with a bit of luck she would reach it around midnight. The roads were mostly empty, save for a lone fox or a lost traveller or the rare courier. The rain from the previous day had stopped, but the clouds had not dispersed, and a thick and threatening gloom hung over the large forests to the southwest of Morthal. Serana did not mind the clouds. She was happy that there were any, as they would block the painful rays of the sun, and ease her journey.

She was thinking about everything now, as the last stretch of her journey lay before her. She thought about her past, about the way she became a Vampire, about what it had done to her family, about what it had done to her personally, about the things she had done, about the things she couldn't do and about the things she wanted to do. She thought about what her Vampirism had done for her, about the powers she could use, about how strong she was, about how much she had survived because of her blood, about the great things she had done, about the countless years of experience she had, about everything she could still do, about the warmth she felt every time she embraced Tarrion and about everything she had been through with him. She thought about it until her head hurt.

The miles slowly passed underneath her, and the sun slowly climbed up to its peak, and then back down again. She passed small side paths that lead into the mountains, and paths that lead down to the north. She passed small patrols which she ignored, she passed a small hunters encampment while there was no sign of the hunters.

After many miles of riding, and she knew that it was already past midnight, she saw Morthal lying in the distance. It lay below her and she saw only a few houses from where she was. But she finally was able to see her destination and it gave her a bit of strength, yet she felt like she hadn't slept in days. She only urged her horse more and after a short while, she saw a road leading down the mountainside. Below she saw wooden gates and past that, she saw many gloomy houses standing.

She now slowly approached the gate and she saw a guard looking at her. She kept her hood on and tried to keep her eyes hidden.

"Who goes there?" the guard asked.

"I am looking for a man named Falion." Serana said.

The guard waited a few moments before he answered. "What is your business with him?"

"I… I need his help."

"What kind of help?"

"It is a… private matter." Serana said, and she felt how she could hardly say anything else. "Very private…. Please…. I need his help."

The guard did not seem to trust her, but after a while he decided to open the gate. Serana thanked him and left her horse at a small inn. She saw how almost all of the houses were built on high wooden supports, above the swampy ground. Morthal was build half in the swamp, and half on the mountain slopes. The Jarl's Longhouse was built with a stone foundation on the rocky ground, while half of the town was built above the ponds and rivers where small piers lead to the doors. She saw a small alchemist shop standing in the middle of the town, but the rest of the town seemed eerily quiet. There were not many houses, a small two dozen of them, and one stood a bit further apart from all the others. Serana looked around, trying to see if she could find out which house Falion would live in, but almost all of the houses looked the same, and thus she decided to go to the inn and ask around there.

The inn was mostly empty, which was not strange since it was in the middle of the night, yet the innkeeper seemed to be awake.

"Ah, finally. Someone comes in after all. Kick off your boots and sit by the fire." she said.

Serana walked toward her and saw that she was Redguard, as she had a dark skin and dark hair.

"I'm sorry for walking in at this hour…" she started, but the innkeeper waved it away.

"Don't be. I'm happy I get a customer at all, no matter the hour on which they arrive. What can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for a man named Falion." Serana said. "I heard he lived here in Morthal. Do you know where I can find him?"

The innkeeper furrowed her brow as she looked at Serana. She still had her hood on and refused to show her face. "I might… but what do you want with him?"

"Please…" Serana asked. "It's important. I need his help."

The innkeeper showed the same hesitation as the guard at the gate and she furrowed her brow.

"You are not planning on harassing him like everyone else here? Are you?"

"No, not at all. I just need his help."

"Hmmm….. very well then. He lives at the far side of town. The house that is a bit further away from the others."

Serana sighed. "Thank you. I also have a horse that needs some food. Will this be enough?" and she placed the pouch on the counter.

The innkeeper looked at the pouch with money and nodded.

"This is more than enough, but you shouldn't bother my brother right now. I'll prepare a room for you."

But Serana refused and she said that it was urgent. Before the innkeeper could react Serana left and headed for the far side of town.

The house was indeed a bit further away from all the others, like there was something wrong with it, and a small, broken pier lead to it. The house itself seemed quite normal, and Serana walked up to the door, but then stopped. She knew that once she knocked there was no going back. She knew that she would have to explain what she wanted, and what she felt, and that a complete stranger would give her advice. She had no idea who this Falion was or how he would react, and she had no idea if he even could help her.

She stayed there for a few moments, considering…. Thinking….. struggling, until she took the leap.

She knocked thrice, and she heard a bit of rummaging in the house, and somebody walked to the door.

* * *

 _-Soul Cairn-_

The air, the ground, it was all wrong. Just like during his previous visit, Tarrion saw that the ground was black with death and decay, and the skies seemed to be an unholy reflection of Sovngarde. All around him he saw the black buildings and ruined fortresses, all of which looked deserted and abandoned. But he knew they were not. Wandering around he saw the lost souls that were trapped in this place forever. Some of them walked blindly, others were screaming while no sound came from their mouths, and more others simply sat on the ground, too afraid or defeated to even try anything.

Here and there Tarrion saw beasts and skeletons wandering around. The beasts were unlike any that walked on Tamriel, some of them with multiple heads or with horns sticking out their bodies. They all seemed to walk around aimlessly, but Tarrion knew otherwise. They were charged with gathering the souls and keeping unwanted visitors away from the crystals that floated above the larger buildings.

Tarrion payed no attention to these beasts, or the souls that wandered around. He followed an uneven path that lead past ruins to a massive fortress. The ruins of a broken tower lay quietly in front of the steps that lead to the main gate, and as Tarrion climbed the steps, he heard a slight sound. The invisible barrier that had held them back last time was now gone, as Tarrion had destroyed the keepers that constructed it, and he walked between the large, black pillars that held up massive towers and defences. In a small corner, he saw a small light burning, and next to a heap of ruined books, he saw the woman he was looking for.

She still looked exactly the same as before, with her deep, pitch black hair, pale Vampire skin and glowing eyes. Her robes were still old, but not torn, and were as black as her hair. Her face was handsome, with well-defined cheeks, a straight nose and full lips. She looked like she was a noble or royalty, which was not untrue. When she looked up and saw Tarrion, her eyes opened wide in both shock and surprise. Not even the skeletons and beasts would come near the fortress, and the souls stayed far away from it. But now she saw a man standing in front of her and she recognized him.

"You?"

She saw how he nodded and took a small step forward. She stared at him, with suspicion in her eyes. She never thought she would see a soul again. Well, beside the ones that were already dead.

"You appear to have something on your mind…. What is it?"

"I have come to tell you that Harkon is dead." Tarrion said. His voice was calm, and he waited for Valerica's response. He was not sure how she would react. He knew that she wanted Harkon to fail, and that she no longer loved him. But at the same time, he also knew that they were husband and wife, and that they loved each other a long time ago. Half of him expected her to shed a few tears, and the other half imagined her to be relieved, but he was not quite sure what would be better.

"What?!" Valerica asked, and her face changed to even more shock. "Are…. Are you certain."

"Yes."

Valerica stumbled backwards and held herself up against the wall. She walked toward the small alembic that she used for her alchemy and stared at the wall.

"Harkon is dead….." she whispered to herself. "….He is dead….."

When she turned around Tarrion saw a smile of relief on her face and she sighed. She felt like the weight of the world had just fallen off her shoulders, and the relief she felt was the first real emotion she had in a long time.

"Then I see nothing preventing my return to Tamriel… Allow me to gather some of my things and I'll join you."

She sighed again and closed her eyes. "And from the bottom of my heart… I thank you."

Tarrion nodded and waited for her by the top of the stairs. He felt a combination of disgust and pity for her. She was relieved and grateful that her husband was finally killed. He wondered what kind of woman would ever want her husband dead, but he decided he did not want to know. At the same time, he also knew what Harkon had been, and how she had been treated by him. He knew that the relationship between the two had soured a long time ago, and that neither of them felt any love for the other, and Tarrion felt sorry for them.

It did not take long before Valerica was ready. She carried a small pack filled with some ingredients and they left the ruined fortress together. Tarrion seemed focused on the end of his journey, and kept his eyes on the path. But Valerica seemed different. Her steps were light and filled with energy. She was finally able to leave this dreaded place and she was finally free of her loveless marriage to Harkon. She smiled all the way, despite Tarrion not saying a word to her. It was only when they reached the steps to the portal that Valerica stopped and her smile faded.

"Wait."

Tarrion turned around, and saw how she looked with distrust at the portal above them. "What is it?"

"I... I am not so sure about this."

"I thought you wanted to return?"

Valerica still looked at the portal. "And I still do, but I am not sure if I will survive walking right through."

Tarrion did not understand, but then she explained. "I have been here for many centuries, but… No matter where I go, or for how long I stay away, my insatiable hunger remains. Hunger for blood. In here, in this place of death, I can be killed, but I cannot die of starvation. I fear that all those centuries without feeding will weigh down on me as soon as I step back to the mortal world….. I don't think I will survive that."

"Then what would you have me do about it?"

Valerica looked at him, and in her eyes was a similar gaze that Serana had, except this one was a more unsettling hunger. It was as if she wanted and needed his blood, rather than asked for it. Tarrion had no intention of feeding Valerica, and she seemed to guess his thoughts.

"It is either your blood, or you find someone else. But I have a feeling you won't submit another to me, even if it is a bandit."

Her voice was calm can calculated, like she gave him two options while she knew he could only pick one. She smiled at him when she saw his eyes flash at her, and she knew that he indeed would not bring another to her.

"Don't worry about it." she said as she stood next to him, and her voice sounded almost seductively. "It won't hurt a bit."

But Tarrion stepped backwards. "You lay one finger on me, and I will not hesitate to kill you. You are mistaken if you think that I care for you…. But very well. If you have a small flask in your pack I will fill that."

"Hmm… I'd rather take it straight from the source."

"But you won't get it." Tarrion said sternly, and Valerica saw that she could not win it. She pulled a small flask from her pack and Tarrion made a small cut in his arm and filled it with his blood. Valerica stared at his arm and he noticed the hunger in her eyes, and it made him feel uncomfortable.

When he gave the flask to Valerica she immediately grabbed it and drank the contents to the last drop. She licked her lips clean and closed her eyes, when she gulped the last bit down. The taste of his blood was warm and she felt a few centuries younger because of it.

"Aaahh…. The blood of the Dragon, glorious."

Tarrion looked at her in surprise and she raised an eyebrow at him. "You think I did not know? Please, I know more about you than you think…" and she grinned at him. "Now, shall we?"

And Tarrion stepped after her through the portal, back to Tamriel.

"Ah, it's good to be home again."

They arrived back into Valerica's laboratory, and Tarrion felt the strong urge to leave as soon as possible. Valerica walked back to the elevated area and looked around, when her smile disappeared.

"Where is Serana?" she asked. "I thought she would be waiting for us back here?"

Tarrion said nothing to her but walked past her. With lightning fast movements she grabbed his arm in an icy grip and looked him in his eyes. He saw her eyes flare at him.

"Where is my daughter?"

"Serana is fine. But she is not here." Tarrion said and he pulled his arm from her grip.

"Where is she then?" and her voice was still cold and angry.

"She is on an errand of her own."

"What kind of errand?"

"An errand of her own." Tarrion said, and his voice sounded definitive. "I will not tell you. This is a matter close to her and not even I know what will happen to her."

Valerica was clearly not satisfied with this answer, but when Tarrion refused to say anything more, she straightened her back and looked him in his eyes.

"If anything happens to her.. anything at all.. I will make you regret the day you met her."

Tarrion scoffed at her. "You should know that your threats mean very little to me. An you are a fool if you think I will let any harm come to her. The only reason why I came for you is because I care about Serana. I did this for her, not for you."

Tarrion now only wanted to leave, and it seemed Valerica also wanted him to go. And so Tarrion left the elevated area and walked past the portal, but there he changed his mind.

"Before I go, I have to ask you one thing." he said, and Valerica looked down on him from atop the stairs.

"Why have you never pursued that prophecy? Why not plunge the world in eternal darkness?"

Valerica sighed, and for a moment Tarrion could see an old pain on her face. "I have no idea how many times I tried to convince Harkon of this. If the prophecy came to fruition, and the sun would be blotted out, there are many in the world who would not stand for it. The world is now mostly divided by petty wars and distrust for others, and that is the way it has always been. But if an event like the loss of the sun would come to pass… the entire world would join forces against the Vampire, in an effort to turn things back to normal."

She looked at Tarrion and her eyes suddenly reflected her age. All those centuries of knowledge, experiences and things she had seen weighed down on her. "You see? The prophecy would draw too much attention to our own kind, and the Order of the Day would become our destruction. They would not stop until every last Vampire is hunted down and killed. That is why I refused to go with Harkon. The Vampire has survived for millennia by staying in the shadows… and that is the only way for us to continue to survive. But why do you ask?"

"Because I want you to remember that." Tarrion said. His voice was still calm, yet a threatening undertone was noticeable. "You can stay here and live your life here…. But do not give me a reason to come back, because if you do…. I will not hesitate."

Valerica gave him a sweet, yet vindictive smile. "You should know that your threats mean very little to me."

"Maybe," Tarrion said as he turned around and walked to the door. "but I hope they are noted."

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

That is it for part four. I do hope you like it still, and please stay tuned for the next chapter. There will be two more chapters for this arc.

And we reached over 100.000 words for this Fanfic…. Hooraay! :)

 **Characters:**

 **Innkeep in Morthal:** Jonna, Falion's sister.


	28. Blood Moon Rising 5

**Blood Moon Rising part 5**

 _-Falion's House, Morthal-_

As Tarrion traversed the dark passages of the ruins of Castle Volkihar with speed, as he wanted to leave as soon as possible, Serana stood in front of a small girl in Morthal. The girl looked at Serana with a confused and tired look and she rubbed her eyes.

"Hello…. Who are you?"

Serana looked down on the girl. She couldn't be older than ten years, and she had long brown hair, and in the dark Serana saw that her eyes were brown. She wore clothes that were pink and blue and she looked up at Serana.

"Why are you up so late?" the girl asked her. "Can't you sleep? Me neither."

"I… I am looking for a man named Falion." Serana said.

"Falion?" the girl asked. "He takes care of me, but he isn't here right now. He is somewhere in the marshes."

Serana sighed. She thought she now had to look for someone in the dangerous swamps, and despite that she was not afraid, she was tired of the long journey.

"Do you know where in the marshes?" she asked the girl.

"No, but I am sure he is there somewhere. I had a nightmare about him where he was fighting monsters and woke up. Did you have a nightmare too?"

"Eh.. no." and Serana smiled at the perfect innocence of the girl. She wasn't sure if the girl knew that she was a Vampire, but even if she did, she did not seem to care.

"Hmm… Falion says I shouldn't talk to strangers, but you seem alright."

Serana smiled again. "Thank you…. I don't hear that often."

"You can wait for him inside. Then we'll wait together. I want to tell him about my dream."

The girl let her in and Serana stepped into a small, but comfortable house.

There were two beds. One was large, and the other small. Two small dressers stood beside each bed and a simple wardrobe probably held clothes. In a corner, near the larger bed, stood an Arcane Enchanter and a few notes lay on it.

The girl lead Serana to a small table and offered her a seat, while she sat on her bed. She looked at Serana and her face radiated a child's curiosity.

"I am Agni." The girl said. "What is your name?"

"I eh… My name is Serana."

"That is a pretty name." Agni said. "I wish I had a pretty name like that. All the boys in Morthal tease me because they think my name is not pretty. Joric said that he named his pet mudcrab Agni, but he is lying. I know he does not have a pet, and when he saw a mudcrab yesterday, he was too afraid to get closer. But I wasn't."

Agni talked and talked, and Serana started listening. The more she talked, the more Serana smiled. Agni was a young and merry girl and Serana found her stories amusing.

"…. And when I grow up, I want to join the College of Winterhold and become a wizard, just like Falion, but he doesn't want me to. He thinks the college is bad, and 'predujis'."

"Is Falion your father?" Serana asked.

"No, but he takes care of me. After my mama and papa died, Falion took me in. He is much nicer than people say. I don't know why the others don't like him. I know that he has helped a lot of people."

"You do?" Serana asked and her interest was piqued. "How… do you know how he helps them?"

"No…" Agni answered. "I know he just asks them some things, and then they need to bring him something, but I don't know what. I asked him, but he said that those people want to change, but I don't understand. Why would someone want to be someone else? Joric sometimes makes fun of me, but I then tell him that I know about magic, and he doesn't. And I know that he keeps a book under his bed that he stole. He keeps telling me it isn't true, but I know it is. I just tell him that I like myself and one day I will be a strong wizard and then I can use magic and do what I want. Do you know magic?"

Agni suddenly looked at Serana with wide open eyes.

"I eh…" Serana did not expect this question and was taken by surprise. "Well… yes. I know about magic."

"Really? Can you teach me? I want to know about magic too. Can you teach me, please? I promise I won't tell anyone."

"You promise you won't tell anyone what?"

The door to the house opened and a man appeared in the opening. He was wearing dark, hooded robes and in the dark Serana saw his dark skin and she knew he was a Redguard.

"Who are you?" he asked her and he looked from Serana to Agni. "Agni, what did I tell you about letting strangers into the house?"

"Falion, you're back!" Agni said happily and she jumped off her bed. "I had a nightmare and I couldn't sleep. Can I tell you what it was about?"

"Maybe later." Falion said, and he closed the door behind him. "I first want to know who-…."

But he stopped when he took another look at Serana, and his face changed from suspicious to understanding.

"I see. Agni, you should go to bed."

"But I want to tell you about my dream."

"Tomorrow, alright? First I need to talk to her."

While Agni went to bed, Falion lead Serana to the other side of the large room. He gave her a seat and sat in front of her.

"I know what you are," he said and his voice was almost a whisper. "and let's not use that word. Not while she is here." and he nodded at Agni. "So, you want to become human again?"

Serana felt a bit of a shock, as she expected Falion to first ask her what she wanted instead of assuming.

"I… I am not sure." she answered. "I think I first want to know more of what it will mean for me if I go through with this."

Falion looked at her with a strange look. "Hmmm…. Most come here and are sure of what they want."

"Well… I am not like most, because…."

Serana hesitated. She wasn't sure how Falion would react, but she knew she had to tell him if before he could understand.

"I am Pure Blooded."

Falion's face changed rapidly to pure shock and he stared at her. "You are…. A Pure Blooded Va-…. A Pure Blooded one? I have never met one of you."

"And I have been one for so long, I cannot remember my old life." Serana finished. The emotion she had was now only in the background, as she had been over this with Tarrion several times already. "I want to know what it will do to me. What will it change, and how much will it change?"

"Well, I eh…" Falion scratched his head. He seemed astonished by the fact that he met a Pure Blooded Vampire. "I have no doubt I would be able to help, but what does it change? Well, everything, and at the same time, not much. You will be human, which means you need food and water. You will get cold, your senses will be gone. You will definitely feel weaker, and more fragile than before. All your powers will be gone."

"And in return? What can you do as a human that I wouldn't be able to do now"

"Well… you don't need to feed on blood anymore. You can walk in the sun. People won't shun you anymore or try to kill you. But why do you ask these things? Most know what they want, so what is it that makes you uncertain?"

"Because I don't know what I want." Serana explained, and her voice became a bit louder. "One the one hand I want to become human again. To feel human again, but on the other hand…. I have been a Vampire all my life, and I never regretted being one. I... I am just not sure if being human is what I want."

Falion took a quick look at Agni, because Serana had said the word 'Vampire', but she seemed to be asleep.

"Then maybe you first need to figure out what it is that you truly want, and whether or not you becoming human allows you to do what you want."

Serana knew not what to say. She sat still and tried to gather her thoughts, but she couldn't. Not with Falion staring at her, and she said that she needed some time to think. She left the house and walked around the corner and started pacing around.

Too many thoughts now thundered through her head. Falion's advice that she needed to figure out what she wanted, and whether or not her Vampirism blocked her from it.

'What do I want?' she thought to herself. 'A normal life with the man I love. Can I have that now?... yes.'

She could not remember any moment when Tarrion had said anything against her Vampirism, not even when he first met her. Not once had he showed any disdain toward her. And as Tarrion had said several times already, he cared not about the fact that she was a Vampire, and he loved her anyway.

'Can I love him and can he love me?'

This question was answered quickly with a 'yes'. She loved Tarrion and she knew that he loved her.

'Can I…. 'hop into bed with him'?'

This question was a bit more difficult, but she remembered what Aela said. But more than that, she remembered the look in Tarrion's eyes when she lay on top of him in Lakeview Manor. She saw it again and she knew it could not be anything else. '… Yes.'

She asked herself more questions. 'Can I have friends now? Can I live a normal life. Can I enjoy a normal life?' These and more she asked herself, but the most important ones were already answered.

'But a Vampire is a bloodsucking fiend. An evil creature, made by Molag Bal, an evil Daedric Lord.' she heard her own voice say.

But then another voice sounded in her head. The one of Paarthurnax, the old dragon that she met on the Throat of the World. 'You have passed through evil, and made into what you are by evil, yet I do not sense that evil in you. What is better? To be born good, or to overcome your evil nature?'

She knew of herself that she was not evil. She had proven that to others, and to herself. She was a Vampire, but not a 'bloodsucking fiend'. She was technically dead, yet still human at heart. She was a creature of the night, yet she craved to feel the day.

"Hi there."

A voice sounded behind her and Serana turned around only to see Agni standing next to the house.

"You're not asleep?" Serana asked.

"I woke up again." she said plainly. "I snuck outside when Falion was not looking. Why did you need his help? Are you sick?"

Serana was again confronted with the fast working mind of a child. Carefree and curious, and she smiled.

"No, what I have is not a disease. I…."

Then suddenly she heard herself give an answer to many other questions.

"What I have is not a disease." she repeated.

She looked up to the night sky and took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She felt a relief she had not felt in a long time and it was as if a huge weight had just fallen off her shoulders. In the end, no one other than herself had given her the answer she was looking for.

For the last few weeks she had seen her own Vampirism as a stain on her. She even remembered how she called it her 'tainted blood'. She thought that it was something like a disease, an illness not unlike a tumor, which needed to be removed. But she now finally realized that it was not like that at all. It was who she truly was, who she had been… and who she wanted to be.

"Are you leaving?"

Serana looked down on Agni who still looked at her with that child-like curiosity, and she smiled.

"Yes… I have to go." and she kneeled down in front of her. "Thank you. You have helped me."

"Then can you take this?" Agni asked and she pulled a blue flower from behind her back. Serana saw that it was a Deathbell flower.

"Eh… these flowers are dangerous." she said. "They are poisonous."

"I know, but I still like them. They are dangerous, but they are also pretty."

Serana took the Deathbell from her and looked at it, and she felt how it represented her. Dangerous, yet beautiful to some and she saw Agni smile.

"When I grow up, I want to be as pretty as you."

And Serana felt a tear well up in her eyes, and before she could stop herself she hugged Agni. In the distance she saw that the sky had turned orange, indicating that the sun was rising. She let go of Agni and stood up. The smile on her face was now perfect, and she felt better than she had felt in a long time.

* * *

 _-Crossing the border into Whiterun Hold-_

Tarrion ran as fast as he could. He knew that he would not get tired easily and the thought that he could see Serana again only made his resolve stronger as he pushed on. The sun had started to climb down again, and he knew that, with a lot of luck, he would be able to reach Falkreath within a few days.

He ran like the wind and he felt that his tongue hung out his mouth, but he did not stop. In the distance he saw the town of Rorikstead, but he knew he could not stop there.

As soon as he had left Castle Volkihar in the middle of the night he had tried to reach the main land as soon as possible. It was still night when he reached the shores near Northwatch Keep, and there he had transformed. He knew that he had to find a path into the mountains that could lead him to Dragon Bridge, but he no longer had the patience to wait. He transformed into a Werewolf and ran up the mountains, using his sharp claws and strong limbs to find shortcuts and before the next night had fallen he could see Dragon Bridge in the distance. He knew that his horse there would be taken care of, but right now he cared not for it. He stayed in the woods and did not transform back, but instead ran down to the river. There he felt that his Werewolf form was tiring, and he was forced to transform back.

Knowing that he could not transform again that day, he decided to swim to the other side of the river and wait until the next day would come. The river was cold and strong, but Tarrion was stronger, and he reached the other side without any problems. He tried to find the road again, but it took him longer than expected.

The next day he decided not to transform just yet. In the middle of the day he would be spotted too easily and he simply followed the road toward Rorikstead. With his long training, Nordic stubbornness, Dragon blood and with his Werewolf endurance, he was able to walk the entire day without tiring. He did not meet a single soul on the road, and only after the night had fallen, he decided to transform again.

In his Werewolf form, Tarrion was evens stronger and faster than before, outrunning sabrecats with ease and with stamina greater than that of a wolf. Since he willingly transformed he knew exactly where he was going and after a few miles he saw the lights of Rorikstead. He gave it a wide berth and ran across the flowing hills and meadows of Whiterun hold and he knew that he could cross huge distances over this terrain. After a few hours he saw the mountains that separated Whiterun Hold from Falkreath Hold, and he kept right, finding the road that lead past Sunderstone Gorge.

 _-The Next Day-_

Tarrion kept up the pace as he walked through the pine forests of Falkreath. The day had dawned few hours ago and he had transformed back. He had always liked the land and scenery here. A large, green countryside with high trees, green grass, mountains all around with snow-covered peaks, and a huge lake. Lake Ilinalta. On mornings the birds would sing, on afternoons the sun would make the lake shine, and during the evenings and nights the stars and moons would bathe the entire land in a silver light. Out of all the holds, Tarrion loved this one the most. The entire hold was teeming with life, whether it were trees and flowers, or birds and bees, or elks and bears, there was life all around.

But right now, he was not paying attention to what was around him. He wanted only one thing, and that was to get to Serana as fast as possible.

He reached the high, rocky hills where his house was at the beginning of the evening. The sun was slowly lowering in the west and the large shadows of the mountains lengthened themselves. He saw the central and highest tower of his manor already between the trees and he knew that he was finally home again. With a last surge of energy he almost ran to the door and saw that everything was quiet. A few last birds ended their song as Tarrion entered his home.

He immediately walked around to see if anyone was home, but there was no-one.

"Rayya?" he shouted, but there was no answer. Tarrion shrugged as he thought nothing of it and walked to his bedroom to change into a new set of clothing.

Before he was able to put on a new tunic however, he heard heavy steps on the stairs and in the hallway. He had just put on a new pair of trousers when Rayya threw the doors to his bedroom wide open. Her dark, Redguard face was moulded into an expression of concern and shock, and her turban was askew on her head. Tarrion looked at her and slowly his face changed as well.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I… I don't know." she answered.

"Is Serana back?" and Rayya nodded.

"Yes, but something is wrong. She walked in here this morning and shut herself in the bath."

Tarrion stood up. "What? Why? Did she say anything?"

"I don't know, and she didn't say anything. I asked her what was wrong, but her eyes were wet with tears and she told me to leave her alone."

Tarrion threw his tunic away and walked with Rayya downstairs to the large bath that was in one of the basements. They walked down a set of wooden stairs and found the door closed. Tarrion knocked on the door.

"Serana? Are you in there."

There was no answer. Tarrion silently cast a Detect Life spell and saw that the room was empty. He then cast a Detect Dead spell, and saw that there was one present in the room, and he knew that Serana was still a Vampire.

"Serana, what is it? It's me."

Still there was no answer and Tarrion knew there had to be something seriously wrong for her not to answer.

"Do you want me to break down the door?"

Tarrion looked at Rayya but shook his head.

"No… this is something that you cannot help with. Something must have happened. She didn't say anything, but did you notice anything. Anything at all?"

But Rayya shook her head. "No."

"Then I have to ask you something. Could you leave us for a while?"

"Of course." she answered. "I'll go to my own room and-…"

"No, I don't mean that. I mean could you leave for a while." Tarrion looked at Rayya. "There is something more wrong here than I understand now. I think it would be best if Serana and I have some time alone. Could you go to Riverwood or Falkreath and stay there for a couple of days? Would you do that for me?"

Rayya knew that she had to obey her thane, but she also knew that he would not give orders, and even now he didn't order her to leave. She nodded. "I'll leave for Falkreath at once. But first I need to gather some supplies." and she turned around and left.

Tarrion now did not wait to look for a key to the door, but instead used Telekinesis to pick the lock and opened the door.

He entered a large room which was twelve metres wide, twenty-five metres long and three metres high. The bath lay in the middle of the room and against the far end, and was six metres wide, fifteen metres long and was at its lowest point four metres deep. There were a few smooth, stone benches placed in the water to rest on, and on one of these benches, with her face to the wall and her back to the door, he saw Serana.

Her clothes lay torn and scattered across the room and her boots had sunken to the bottom of the bath. But Tarrion was disturbed by what he saw, as a trace of dark blood lead from the door to the place where Serana sat now. He closed the door and walked slowly to Serana, and he saw cuts on her back, shoulders and arms. Her skin was paler than before. He saw that she must have ripped her clothes apart and threw them away, and in the process cut herself as well. And Tarrion knew that she must have had a horrid experience, as something like this had not happened before.

"Serana?" he asked carefully.

"…Leave me."

Her voice was weak, yet stern, but Tarrion did not turn around.

"I can't." he said.

"Leave me." Serana said again, stronger this time, and Tarrion answered again. "I cannot."

He now lowered himself into the water and walked carefully toward her. The water felt cool and it rippled around her as he saw her body shake, and the water came to his waist. "I cannot leave you, because I made you a promise. When we met your mother I promised you; I will not leave you. Before we fought Harkon I promised you; Even if all the armies of Oblivion would stand between us, I will never leave you. And after I told Shor to shove it, I said it once again; I will never let you be alone again."

He had reached her and he saw the cuts on her back and shoulders clearly now. Blood stained her hands and dripped into the water, yet he saw that the wounds already started to heal. Her Vampriric abilities still worked.

He lay his hands on her shoulders and sat behind her on the stone bench. "I love you, and no force in this world or beyond will stop me from loving you. I will be here for you… always."

And Serana turned around and threw herself on Tarrion and she wept. Her tears poured from her eyes, and Tarrion hugged her and tried to feel what she felt. He felt that she was naked, but that was not on his mind right now. He caressed her back and arms and pressed his head against hers. He did not know what happened but he knew that he would be there for her.

Neither of them said anything as Serana cried. The wounds on her back slowly closed. Tarrion kissed her neck and tried to say all he felt with that kiss, and Serana slowly calmed herself. They embraced each other, but Tarrion did not know what to say. He simply held her tightly, hoping he would never have to let her go. Serana calmed herself more until a few last sobs started a silence that neither of them knew how to break.

"I… I don't know… what I can say."

Tarrion's voice was almost a whisper, and it was true. He did not know what happened and he did not know how he could help.

"I almost killed a little girl."

Serana's voice was just as quiet and her jaws were hurting. She tried to tell him what happened and she still had her head on his shoulder.

"After I met with Falion I decided that I needed some time to think. He made me realise that being human may not have been what I truly wanted. He said that I should discover what it is what I truly want. Then his ward Agni asked me if I was sick. I told her that 'what I have is not a sickness'. And then I realised that being human is not what I wanted."

"Then what is it that you want?"

"To be with you, and that nothing between us would keep us apart. I left and went to Whiterun to ask Lydia one last thing, but…."

Serana felt her grief boil up again as she remembered what she had almost done.

"I arrived at Whiterun and… I saw Mila, Carlotta's daughter, and…."

Tarrion felt how her body started to shake again.

"I saw her and I…. I hadn't fed in a full week…..she was just standing there. The night had already fallen, and before I knew it I was stalking her…. how can I do that?... to her? Her mother called her and I followed her home… I even snuck into her house…. Waited for her to fall asleep, and…. The hunger was overwhelming…. I needed blood… I wanted blood…. I couldn't….. I almost fed on her!"

Tarrion sat there shocked and his hands were frozen. He knew Mila Valentina well, and he was good friends with her mother as well. The thought of any Vampire standing over her, even Serana, was unsettling.

"I almost fed!" Serana shouted and her pain was unmistakable. She let go of Tarrion and walked away from him. The water reached her waist and Tarrion looked at her. A few last red lines on her shoulders and back were slowly fading and Serana felt more anger toward herself boil up. "On a little girl! I had just decided that I want to remain a Vampire and then this! Why did this happen?! WHY?"

Tarrion saw how she almost tore out her own hair and she started to scratch her own skin. Tarrion stood up and grabbed her hands and hugged her again, so that she couldn't hurt herself.

"Let me go, Tarrion!"

"No, I won't!"

"Then why do you still care about me?! Why do you even love a bloodsucking fiend like me?!"

"BECAUSE I DON'T CARE!"

His voice was so loud the it caused the water to swirl around them, and Serana looked at him in fear. He had let her go and now, for the first time he looked at her with something that seemed like anger.

"I don't care that you are a Vampire, and I have already told you several times over! If I did not want you to be one, I would have asked you to get yourself cured! If I did not care about you, I would have let you deal with your father alone! I would have killed you when I first met you! I would…."

Tarrion felt his own frustration boil as he looked at Serana. "Why can't you see that? You are not like others! You want to be good, you don't feed on everyone you want! Even if you would have fed on Mila, I would still love you! I love you. From the moment I met you again in Fort Dawnguard I liked you. From the moment we left the Soul Cairn I started loving you. And right now, I want nothing else but to be with you. If I had the courage to ask, I would ask you to marry me!"

Serana's expression of frustration and fear disappeared in an instant as Tarrion shouted those words. She hardly paid attention to what he said after that, because Tarrion said many other things. But she simply looked at him with her eyes wide open and her lips parted. Everything else had stopped for her and her body was unable to move. She did not even notice when Tarrion stopped talking and looked at her. She simply stared at nothing and her thoughts were unable to process what he said.

"Serana?"

With a huge shock she was pulled back to her body. She felt that she was naked, and Tarrion only had a simple pair of trousers on. She stood up to her waist in the water and Tarrion looked at her. His anger was gone and his old concern came back. And her grief had left her, and slowly her shock started to make place for happiness.

"Y-y-you … would?"

"I would what?"

"You…would ask me… to…" Serana was barely able to speak. It was as if her mouth and tongue no longer knew how. Like her brain could no longer tell her body what to do. "You want to… marry… me?"

"…. Yes…." was his answer. "If… you want the same…. What do you want?"

'I want you to take off your pants.' Serana thought to herself. It was the first and only thought she had right now.

"What?" Tarrion asked, and Serana noticed that she accidentally said it aloud. A part of her wanted to deny it. To make an excuse that would explain something else, but before she could help herself she said it again.

"I want you to take off your pants… and…. Take me to bed."

Now Tarrion looked at her, and slowly he saw a slight, and innocent, smile appear on her face. Her eyes now looked at him with wanton lust and her lips were slightly parted.

Then Tarrion walked up to her and kissed her while he lifted her up. He grabbed her firmly by her thighs and carried her out of the bath. His body from his waist down was wet, and the same was true for Serana. The wounds on her back had healed and she now ran her hands uncontrollably over Tarrion as he carried her past the door and up the stairs.

She felt his naked chest pressed against hers and she could sense his every being. His heart that was pounding and his blood that was flowing down to his loins, and, despite that she was an undead Vampire, she felt her own loins stir as well. She grabbed his shoulders and pressed her breasts against him. Her legs were wrapped around him and she could feel his warm body against her naked legs, and it drove her crazy. She could not control herself anymore and she grinded her body on him as he walked up the stairs to the hallway that lead to his bedroom, and she was giddy with anticipation. This was what she truly wanted. She wanted him. All of him.

And Tarrion felt the same. Every other thought was banished from his mind as he felt her hands on him. He knew that he would want to touch and kiss every part of her, and he knew that he would do just that. He felt how she was pressed against him, her naked breasts pressed on his chest and her wet legs wrapped around him in a tight grip. He felt his own manhood grow under Serana's touch and he kicked the doors to his room open.

Serana felt how he threw her on his bed and as Tarrion looked at her, he froze. She was perfect, in every sense of the word. Her legs were supple and smooth. Her thighs were firm and Tarrion wanted to grab them. Her waist was slim and her breasts were perfect. He saw how her shoulders smoothly changed into her neck and from her neck it changed into her face. Two soft, rosy lips. A small, well-shaped nose. Deep black hair that just reached her shoulders. And two deep red, slightly glowing eyes that looked at him, and just as always, he saw love in them.

And she looked at him. From his strong legs to a firm waist. She could see his muscles covered in scars that he got from his countless adventures. His massive chest and thick arms. She saw his strong hands and she wanted to feel them all over her. She looked at his face and saw a strong jaw, with a slight black beard. His hair was short as always, and almost as black as hers. A broad nose, thick, dark eyebrows and under them, deep eyes that always had strength in them. She saw how he smiled at her and she smiled back, and she wanted him. She needed him. She desired him.

But he did not move. She looked at him how he stood frozen in front of her and slowly she saw how his smile turned into a painful grimace. She saw how he tried to breath, but his chest refused to go up or down. His hands were contracted and she saw how every muscle in his body was tightened, and his mouth was slightly open in a silent moan.

Then the worst thing that Serana could imagine happened. The pale light of the stars that filled the room made place for a terrifying, blood red light. She looked in desperation at Tarrion who had his eyes closed and she could hear a slight grunt, that sounded almost like a growl. She turned her head and over the eastern mountains, she saw something that would haunt her for months.

Terrifying, blood red and merciless. She saw how the giant moon climbed over the mountains, and she knew.

The Blood Moon had come.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

Noooo! Not now, dammit! Poor Serana. Tarrion told her wat he wanted, Serana told him what she wanted, and then this shit happens.

But yea, that is it for this chapter. Stay tuned for the last chapter of this Arc.

I know that there was at least one that disliked the constant C-blocking that I use, and I can only agree. But don't worry... This was the last one… Pinky-promise.

 **Characters:**

 **Falion:** Redguard master Conjurer, Lives in Morthal. Shunned by the rest of the town. Takes care of Agni, an orphan. According to the game-files and certain dialogues, he has travelled the planes of Oblivion, met with the Dwemer and seen things that no man should see. Hmmm…. Interesting.

 **Agni:** Falion's ward. Orphaned girl, about ?10? years old? Not much to say.

 **Mila:** Daughter of Carlotta Valentina. Works with her mother to help sell fruit and vegetables. It's fun most days, but hard work.


	29. Blood Moon Rising 6

**(Warning! Rated 'M' for a reason)**

 **Blood Moon Rising part 6**

"No… No, please no."

Serana jumped off the bed and grabbed Tarrion's face. He had his eyes closed in pain and she saw that he had his jaws clenched. The blood red moon now bathed the room in a terrifying red light and Serana felt a gust of wind flow into the room. It felt cold on her naked skin and she grabbed Tarrion's face tighter.

"Please no, Tarrion…. Please…. don't do this to me." and she felt tears crawling from her eyes. "Please, not now."

But Tarrion could not stop himself. He felt the gust of wind and he felt a terrible roar inside of him. He had never experienced a Blood Moon, but he knew what it meant. He felt like his body was burning from the inside, from his heart to the tips of his fingers. With effort he opened his eyes and saw Serana stare at him. Her eyes had a terrified look in them and he pushed her away. His strength was already great and Serana fell back on the bed, and she saw how he stumbled toward a large, windowed door that lead to a wooden balcony. He slammed the door open and stumbled into the dreadful light of the moon. Serana ran after him and wanted to grab him, but he threw her aside and he stumbled against the wooden fence and fell down.

"Tarrion!"

Serana screamed as she saw him fall off the edge and disappear in the night. She ran toward the edge and saw how he had slammed onto the ground, and how he used all of his strength to get back up again. She was frozen. She could no longer move because she saw how he already started to change, and Tarrion felt it too.

Before he had reached the wood chopping block behind the manor, he fell to the ground. His body shook tremendously and uncontrollably, and he gritted his teeth. Then he led out a terrible scream that was so loud, the ground shook, and his scream changed into a roar. A thundering roar, the likes of which Tamriel had never heard before now sounded over the lake, and people have said that it could be heard in Whiterun.

Tarrion slammed on the ground and his body transformed. His legs and feet morphed into paws and claws. His arms changed into long limbs and claws that could rent a bear apart. His body stretched out and his spine felt like it broke several times, and his skin turned black and was covered with fur. And finally his face stretched painfully into a wolf-like muzzle. A terrifying representation of a monstrous wolf, and huge fangs grew from his mouth. But the most terrifying were his eyes. Those deep, strong eyes, which would normally change into glowing red, now became black. A lifeless, emotionless and merciless black.

When he finally stood up he was larger than before. Over nine foot tall, black and pure primal hatred. Serana looked at him from the balcony and she felt only grief. The wind started howling and with it, Tarrion howled. It's sound rent the night sky apart and he smelled her. He turned around and saw her looking at him. For a few moments they only stared at each other, but then Tarrion roared again and charged at her. Within two seconds he had reached the house and he jumped on the balcony, and Serana jumped off. She did not run back inside, but instead used her powers and changed into a cloud of mist and bats.

It was the worst night of Serana's life. She was being chased by an enormous Werewolf whose only desire was to catch and kill her. To rent her apart, limb from limb. And she could not attack back, she did not want to hurt him, and that was the worst part about it. The Werewolf was the man she loved. He could not control himself, and jumped and clawed after her. His claws missed her by an inch, she barely escaped his jaws and was almost crushed by him. She flew to the top of the house, and he jumped after her. She flew to the top of the lower mountains on either side of the manor, and he climbed after her with incredible speed. He even jumped higher than she expected and almost caught her in mid-air. She knew she could not evade him forever, not unless she had a similar strength. She knew she had, but she did not want to use it. But eventually she knew that she had no choice. After Tarrion jumped at her again, she disappeared in a cloud of mist and bats, and he tumbled between the trees and she took her change, and she transformed too, although she had sworn never to do it.

Her own skin, which was always beautifully pale, now turned ash grey. Her supple legs and feet stretched out and became claws. Her arms and hands became monstrous and long, sharp nails came from her fingers. Her otherwise pale, flawless face turned grey and became horrific to watch. Her eyes turned black with glowing pupils, her mouth turned into jaws filled with sharp teeth and a black tongue. From her back, two wings grew, painfully and bat-like they grew until they were spread behind her. Serana had transformed into a Vampire Lord.

The sounds and roars, the screaks and howls could be heard from miles away, but there was no creature, dead or alive, that dared to near them. Serana and Tarrion fought against each other, while Serana tried her best to hold back and not inflict serious injury. Under the fight of the two titans, the ground shook and the lake echoed with their cries and roars.

Serana had made several cuts on Tarrion's body, but he had also landed several hits on her. She felt how blood dripped from her side and how her skin was torn open. She fired a powerful Drain Life spell at Tarrion and hated herself for doing it. The spell hit its target and Serana felt invigorated by it, and she hated herself more for it. Her tears crawled form her eyes, black as her own blood.

Tarrion leapt at her again, and she ducked under his blow again. She grabbed a large log and tried to hit him on his head, but he grabbed it in his mouth and threw her against the mountainous walls and clawed at her again. She was able to move just in time and massive claw marks were made into the rock.

Then Serana flew up, out of Tarrion's reach and hovered above the ground, while he stared at her and tried to find a way to reach her. He took a tremendous leap, but she remained out of his reach. He tried again, but missed again. He tried a third time, and she disappeared and reappeared behind him. She grabbed him and flew upward to the night sky. He was able to claw her over her stomach and she let him go. With a terrifying roar he fell almost fifty feet to the ground and slammed on the hard soil.

As Tarrion tried to get up he growled with rage, but Serana cast another, less powerful, Drain Life spell at him, and Tarrion felt himself weakening. He jumped at her and tried to claw at her again, but the more she drained him, the weaker he felt, until he was no longer able to jump. She heard him whine and recoil, and she despised herself. When he turned around to run away, she flew at him and slammed herself on him. The impact alone created a small crater and Tarrion could almost not get up again. His strength had faded so much that even the Blood Moon could no longer give him rage and strength. Serana moved fast and grabbed another log. She hit him so hard that the log shattered and splintered, and Tarrion fell to the ground.

His body was bleeding, drained of strength and Serana could only hear a few last small breaths and grunts. She transformed back to her normal self and kneeled beside him. She was naked, but she did not care. In the red light of the moon she saw his blood flowing from his sides and she wept for him. She knew that he was still alive, as she sensed his heart beat, but she did not know if he would survive. She had drained him so much, she thought his body might not recover.

In the distance the blood red moon descended behind the mountains and the pale light of the stars came back. She saw how his body slowly transformed back. His face changed to a normal human face, and his body shrunk. She fell on top of him and hugged him, while her tears cleaned the wounds on his neck.

The Blood Moon had passed.

* * *

 _-The Next Day-_

When Tarrion woke up he felt like he had run for miles. His entire body was tired and his muscles hurt. His eyes seemed to be glued shut and when he opened them he could see that the day had just dawned. He saw that the sun shone bright. It was possibly the last warm day before the winter came. He sat up straight and saw that he was in his own bed. The thick covers covered his legs and waist and he saw that his chest was once again wrapped in bandages. He grabbed his head when he felt the pain.

"Ugh…. I need to stop waking up like this." he said to himself.

When he looked around he saw that the entire room was as he remembered it, except that the doors to the balcony were open. When he looked again he saw a few large claw-marks on the fence that surrounded it. He was surprised to see them, and he had no idea where they came from, yet a part of him told him that he should know. On that moment the door opened and when he turned around he saw Serana enter.

She was dressed in a simple set of clothes that were dark, as most colours would clash with her skin. She held a bowl with water in her hands and when she saw that he was awake she smiled at him.

"You're awake." she said happily.

She walked toward him and placed the bowl of water on a small dresser next to the bed. Tarrion saw that a few small towels lay next to him and Serana dipped one of them in the water and cleaned a small wound near his neck.

"You really need to stop waking up like this." she said with a smile.

"Wha-… what happened?" Tarrion asked and he tried to move his body upward.

"No.. sit still." Serana said and she pushed him back. "You have a few more wounds that I need to tend to, but most of them have stopped bleeding."

"Serana…. What happened?" he asked again. "I… I remember you and…. I… you were in the bath… I carried you upstairs…"

Serana smiled at him as he tried to recollect his memory with her head slightly tilted in amusement.

"But I... I don't know what happened afterwards." Tarrion finished his sentence.

Serana nodded. "Well, I do. You had me by my thighs, kissing me… and I was naked at the time. You threw me on the bed, and we were about to make mad, passionate love. But then the Blood Moon came."

'The Blood Moon!' Tarrion remembered it. He remembered how he felt a roar inside him and how he stumbled off the balcony. He looked at Serana with fear in his eyes, and he saw a small, barely healed wound on her neck.

"What did I…. No…" he realized what must have happened. "Did I hurt you?"

"You laid a claw or two on me." Serana shrugged.

"Oh no…. I am sorry, Serana." Tarrion pleaded and he looked down. He could not look at her, and horrifying images of him attacking her flashed through his head. He felt a tear crawl down his cheek. "I am, so… so sorry. I don't know how-…"

Tarrion felt so much shame. The woman he loved most, the woman who loved him, was the one he attacked mercilessly. He could not remember what happened last night, but he did not want to know. He turned his head away from her.

"You shouldn't be here. It's… I am too dangerous."

"I am not afraid." Serana said and she made him look at her. Her soft hand on his face was almost agonizing for him, and he knew that he did not deserve her. "I know that you would never do anything that would hurt me. But you could not control it. I knew that the Blood Moon was approaching, but I forgot about it. I let my desire to be with you block any other thoughts. If anyone should be blamed… it is me. I knew the dangers, and… I did not heed the warning."

"But you did not go feral. I was the one that attacked, I was the one who almost killed you. And I was-…"

But Serana smothered him with a kiss before he could say anything else. She cupped his face as she pulled back and she smiled at him.

"Wh-… why are you smiling?"

"I am just so glad that you found me." Serana said and she sat on his lap and looked at him. "I don't believe in fate or destiny, but… I think that there is a reason why you found me."

When Tarrion looked at her like he did not understand, Serana smiled even more. "Don't you see? You can understand me." she explained. "You said multiple times that you cannot know what I am going through. When it was concerning my family, you were right. But when it comes to my Vampirism, you can understand."

"What? But I am not-.."

"You're not, I know… but you do know what it feels like to have a dangerous side to you. I feed on people. I need their blood to survive, and if I don't feed for a while, I become…. 'Thirsty'. And that thirst can become so strong that I might hurt people. You don't have that, but you are a Werewolf. You transform during the full moon, and then you can hurt people you care about. During the Blood Moon last night you attacked even me, and you said yourself that you care about me."

"Of course I ca-…"

"I know." Serana interrupted him. "And that is my point. Just like me, you have a dark and dangerous side to you. A side that grants you amazing abilities and powers… but that can also cause pain and grief. I know that you feel pain and shame for what you did… but I do not mind."

She kissed him again and gave him a deep hug. "I am just so glad that there is someone that can understand me, and I can understand him. I... I'm just glad you're here with me."

Tarrion hugged her back. He was unsure if he fully understood her, but for now he realized that they shared a bond stronger than blood.

"There is just one other thing." Serana whispered in his ear and she pulled back. She looked him in his eyes and he saw them glow with happiness.

"We did get… interrupted last night. I noticed that Rayya is nowhere to be found…"

"Yes…" Tarrion answered. "I asked her if she could stay in Falkreath for a while. I thought…"

"Good. Because if you're up for it… If you feel strong enough…"

Serana gave him a seductive smile. She pushed her chest forward and bit her lip. Tarrion looked at her and he saw what she meant. On that moment he felt his blood rushing down to his loins and before he knew it he grabbed her.

Serana fell backwards and Tarrion landed on top of her and he heard a playful laugh. He pushed his head on the open skin on her chest and kissed her, first her chest, then her neck, her cheek and finally her lips. They felt soft. Her skin felt soft and cool against his face. He felt her hands on his back while he had grabbed her waist and hips.

He removed a few bandages and saw a few new wounds on his chest and abdomen. He felt how Serana tried her best to unbutton her tunic, but when that failed she simply ripped it off her. He saw how her pale breasts fell free and they made a slight bounce. She grabbed his head and pressed it in the valley between her breasts and she ran her hands through his hair. Tarrion ran his hands over her body and felt more wounds on her side, and he kissed them. He felt the blood rushing down and his manhood grew, and he realized that he was not wearing any clothing.

As they rolled over the bed they kicked the covers away and Serana saw Tarrion naked in front of her. She made a slight gasp and bit her lip as she looked at his waist and she felt her loins stir with lust. She knew that nothing would stop them now. No-one would interrupt them. Nothing could ruin this moment.

Tarrion felt himself panting already and his heart was pounding in his chest. "Serana… I… I won't hold back… I won't stop now."

"I think I would die if you did."

The sun was slowly rising and bathed the room in golden light. Serana felt it, but she did not care. The rays did not touch her, and she felt warm. She had her eyes closed and lay on her back as Tarrion removed her trousers. He threw them away and she lay naked in front of him. His head was spinning.

He gently took her leg and kissed her soft calves, then her knee and went further up her thighs. Serana gasped as his nose and lips stroked past her leg and slightly tickled her. She let out a soft moan as he kissed her above her womanhood. She felt how he kissed her more and more and his hands ran over her thighs. She felt his warmth all around her, and his lips were pressed on her breast, until she grabbed his head and pulled him in for a long and deep kiss.

She felt how his manhood rubbed her between her legs, and it drove her crazy. She wanted him. Every inch of her body was trembling for him and she spread her legs. And Tarrion raised himself above her.

She saw how he towered above her, with his scar-covered muscles and strong body. It seemed like his eyes were glowing, just like hers.

"Do it…" she whispered. "Go into me… I want you to…"

And Tarrion obliged. She lay below him, beautifully pale and staring at him with an uncontrollable lust in her glowing eyes. She looked at him and it almost seemed like she was a little scared. Her eyes were glowing, and her lips were parted in wanton anticipation. He moved himself and finally entered her.

Serana gasped and moaned. Tarrion panted and grunted. Their bodies were grinding on each other and their lips were inseparable. She had cupped his face and she never wanted to let go. Her body felt alive. More alive than she had felt in centuries and she felt warm. And Tarrion felt her cold skin against his, and it was soft. Her breasts were pressed against his chest, and he felt his manhood move inside her and the pleasure was overwhelming. He did not know where to place his hands and tried to feel every part of her.

As he sat down on his knees, Serana placed herself on his lap, her back pressed against his chest. He kissed her on her neck and grabbed her breast. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it, as her other hand grabbed his side. Her mouth was open in a moan and her eyes were closed. He still had his lips on her neck and her lips were parted and she held his head close. Her black hair was swinging back and forth under their movements and her pleasure reached its peak.

"Oh… Oh Tarrion…" she moaned.

"Oh, Serana…" he answered.

"Don't stop… ever…."

She turned around and wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She tried to smile, but the feeling was too intense and she had lost control of her body. She felt his hands on her hips and she scratched his back. He felt her nails and the slight pain only added to the pleasure that they both felt.

"Do not stop…" she moaned. "… Never stop…"

He lay on his back on the soft bed. Serana sat on his lap and her body was raised above him. He saw how her breasts bounced under every thrust and her hair swung back and forth. She looked at him, and he saw the hunger for him in her eyes. She grabbed her own breast.

With a quick move he summoned a Bound Dagger. He saw how Serana looked at him with lust and surprise as he placed the dagger high on his chest and made a slight cut. Warm blood flowed from the new wound, but Tarrion could not feel the pain. The dagger disappeared and he saw Serana stare at the wound.

"Go ahead…." he said between grunts. "You want it…. Go ahead…."

Serana almost fell on him, and while she was still with him she placed her lips on the wound and drank his blood.

Her mind went blank and she was no longer able to think. The feeling of his warmth around her, his hands on her back, thighs and hips, the warm taste of his blood in her mouth and the feeling of him inside her was too much. Her body now had a will of its own and shook uncontrollably and moved without her will. Her nails scratched over his chest and her legs were shivering. She never wanted this to end. She only wanted this moment to last forever. Her pleasure reached its peak again… and again… and again…

And Tarrion felt it too. Her naked body pressed against him was driving him over the edge. He felt her lips on the wound and her tongue ran over it, licking up every last drop. He wished that he had an extra set of hands, so he could feel more of her. To feel ever last part of her. The feeling of her around his manhood was too much and he could no longer think straight. He moaned loudly as his pleasure reached its highest point and he almost shouted.

And Serana felt his release entering her, and she raised herself above him again, her moans changing into screams. She felt how she contracted around him and it made the sensation intense.

Finally, after their ecstasy lessened, Serana fell limp and she fell on Tarrion. Her eyes were closed and she could hardly move. She felt how her legs trembled in the aftermath. Tarrion's heart was pounding still, and Serana's soft skin was pressed against him. He barely had the strength left to raise his arm on her back and he kissed her.

Serana's happiness was complete.

* * *

A few hours later Tarrion woke up. He woke up like never before and he opened his eyes. The sun had already climbed down and large shadows fell over the manor. He noticed that Serana was not lying next to him and he sat up straight. As he looked around the room he saw that her clothes still lay on the floor and her tunic was still torn when she ripped it off. His bandages were still everywhere and the door to the balcony was still open.

He lifted himself off the bed and saw a nightgown wave outside. As he walked around the corner to the balcony he saw Serana, standing in the last light of the sun. Her pale skin was apparent in the growing twilight and the nightgown she wore left little to the imagination.

It was made from black silk and was nearly transparent. It hung loosely around her neck and shoulders and reached down to her knees and her arms were only covered half. A light breeze played with it and her hair blew slightly.

Tarrion walked up to her and hugged her from behind and gave her a kiss on her neck. The breeze felt cold on his naked skin, but he did not care.

"Hey, beautiful."

Serana turned around and her smile was perfect, like she was intensely happy.

"Hey, handsome."

"Are you happy, Serana?"

"Happy?" she asked and she wiped a tear from her eye. "I… cannot even describe how happy I am. What we did…. It was something I longed for, so much. And it was everything I could have hoped for."

"I'm glad I could help." Tarrion said.

"Did… did you feel the same?" he heard her ask.

"I did." he nodded. "I'm wondering why we waited."

"Hmm… it was a bit difficult for me. Or a part of me felt it was difficult."

Tarrion looked at her, but her smile had not faded. She still stared at him with intense happiness in her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"I never told you how I exactly became a Vampire, did I? What that 'ceremony' was exactly."

Tarrion shook his head.

"Well… as you know, Molag Bal is the 'Lord of Domination', and his realm is called Coldharbour. Pure Blooded Vampires are 'Daughters of Coldharbour.' He is also the 'Lord of Enslavement'…. And the 'Lord of Rape'."

Tarrion saw how Serana's smile faded a bit. Like she remembered something bad.

"The very first Vampire was Lamae Beolfag. Molag Bal… raped her until she was nearly dead, and shed a drop of his blood on her brow, then left her to die. A fortnight later, she awoke as the world's first Vampire."

Serana sighed. "That is also how I became a Vampire. The 'ceremony' was on his summoning day, and a select few of his female followers are then.. 'offered' to him."

Tarrion looked at Serana in horror. He could not imagine what that was like, as he had no idea what this ceremony was. Now that he knew he felt disgusted and he looked with pity at her.

"I.. did not know… I am sorry to-.."

"Don't be." Serana said and her smile came back. "Don't you see? The first and only memory I had of sex was that moment. A dark and horrific memory… but now… you replaced that memory."

She walked toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck and looked into those strong eyes. "You replaced a horrific memory with a memory that I will cherish forever. With Molag Bal it was.. degrading…. But with you… it is… indescribable."

Tarrion smiled again at her, and he felt relieved. He saw that Serana had put that part of her past behind her, and that he had helped her again.

"This only leaves me with one concern." she continued. "I know that…. If a mortal sleeps with a Vampire, he gets infected… and he will turn into one…"

"You mean he gets Sanguinare Vampiris?" Tarrion remarked. "Well… no need to worry about me. I am a Werewolf already and I cannot get infected with that. I need to drink your blood, or you need to really bite me, before I turn into a Vampire."

"Really?" Serana seemed delighted by this news, and her seductive smile reappeared on her face. "So… that means that I can tell you to go back to bed… and you will oblige?"

"Ah, you have persuaded me." Tarrion said playful.

"Persuading you? Ha.. that is easy."

"Oh really?"

Serana smiled and with a simple tug her nightgown fell from her shoulders. It smoothly fell past her curves and landed in a heap on the balcony.

"Really." she said, and she teasingly pushed him back inside.

"So," she started and she pressed herself against him and he ran his hands over her back. "are you ready for another round?"

Before Tarrion even answered she felt something press against her body, and she smiled again.

"Silly question." and she pushed him on the bed.

=End of Chapter=

=End of Arc=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

And rumours say that after round 2 there were three more before they finally decided to sleep. And with Rayya gone for the rest of the week… well. You know what happened :)

But for real, that is it for this chapter and this arc. I hope you liked it.

I do have to say a few things though:

 **First;** I will take another break now, as I still need to figure more stuff out for the next arc. So sorry for that, but you guys will have to wait a bit.

 **Secondly:** I know that a Blood Moon takes only a few moments in real life, but that wouldn't be as much fun. I wanted it to last for the majority of the night.

 **Thirdly** : I do hope you guys feel different about this, but I have the feeling that the quality of my writing is going down. I don't know what it is, but I feel that the story and characters are not as interesting anymore. If you think yes, please point out what it is, then I can improve on that. If you think no, please tell me so I know that it is only a stupid voice in my head. Either way, just tell me :)

But that is it for now. Leave a review, follow, favourite if you feel like it and I'll be back later. MegaGothmog out.


	30. Forging the Past 1

**Forging the Past part 1**

The two of them lay in bed next to each other in a spooning position. His arm hung over her waist while her head rested on his other arm. The covers reached to their waists, as the nights started to get warmer as well. The day was not yet dawning, but he started to wake up. Her black hair tickled his nose and he took a deep breath, his chest pressed against her back. He looked at her and a slight smile appeared on his face. She lay there asleep… so calm and peaceful. Her hair surrounded her pale face. She lay perfectly still, her chest only slightly moving under her breaths.

He stroked her waist and gave her a small kiss on her shoulder. He saw how she smiled and snuggled against him, pressing her body against his and she grabbed his arm and hugged it, pressing it between her breasts. He felt how he was about to fall asleep again, and he kissed her, before placing himself against her and closed his eyes.

They lay in Tarrion's bed in the Archmage's quarters in the College of Winterhold. A large, round room with high windows that looked out over the Sea of Ghosts to the north, and the icy lands to the east and west. In the middle there was a garden, filled with scented flowers and herbs and a rare Canticle tree. The Arcmage's desk was placed in front of it, facing the doors to the south that lead downstairs and upstairs. On left side of the room, there was a large alchemy table, and shelves filled with books on alchemy and ingredients. On the right side, there was a large Arcane Enchanter, surrounded by shelves filled with scrolls, books and gems beyond count. The walls of the entire room were covered with dozens of bookcases, filled with countless books. The northern area of the room was surrounded by a separate wall, with a door on either side. There stood a table with two chairs, several wardrobes, cupboards and a large, decorated bed on which the two lovers now lay.

They had received a letter from Tarrion's assistant Faralda, asking him to come to the College, as new apprentices would be arriving soon. They arrived a few days before any new apprentice would arrive, and now enjoyed the rest after a long journey.

Ever since the Blood Moon, everything had been calmer than before. He had felt better than ever before, as the apparent peace throughout the entire province of Skyrim seemed to last after all. He still had his duties to the Jarls, his responsibilities as Archmage and position as Harbinger for the Companions, but it seemed, with the absence of real trouble, there was not a lot for him to do. But more than that, it seemed everyone had allowed him some time for peace and quiet. He had spent years working, fighting, advising and consulting for almost everyone that he never had any time for himself. And thus it seemed that the Jarls would only contact him on accounts that would really matter, and then only via courier and letter. Luckily for him, these matters hardly ever came.

The College of Winterhold seemed to run smoothly without him being present, as most that would want to talk to him, would either send a letter, or be handled by Faralda. She had succeeded Mirabelle and had become the replacing authority in the College, much to the annoyance of Nirya who thought she would have been, or rather 'should have been', the one to succeed Mirabelle. But Faralda had handled it quite aptly and now bore the responsibilities of Destruction Mentor and assistant to the Archmage with pride.

The Companions were the ones that required the most attention from him. In the last few months he had made almost a dozen travels to Whiterun and back for the Companions alone. There were many things to discuss there and most of them included people wanting to join. Almost twenty young men and women came to Jorrvaskr wanting to join, but in the end only five were allowed into the ranks of the Companions. Two Nord women, a young Breton man, a Redguard man and a lone Khajiit. Especially the Kahjiit was a matter of debate, as no Khajiit had ever joined the Companions before, but in the end he was allowed to join.

"Dar'Hisa considers this a great honour, and he will do his best to prove himself." the Khajiit had said.

The one that had changed the most was Serana. When she would be calm or reserved, she was now open and carefree. When she would be mournful or sad, she was now joyful and happy. She would laugh and smile more often, and seemed full of energy. Sometimes she would wake him up in the middle of the night to go for a swim in the lake or in the bath in the cellar. He had asked her why, but she would only say that she felt like doing it and then proceeded to almost drag him out of bed.

On moments he would just look at her. While she would read a book, tend to the herbs that she had planted in the garden, or make an attempt at cooking… he would just watch her and smile. Feeling lucky… feeling blessed… feeling happy. And when she would turn around she would smile back. Her fangs would be visible and her eyes were softly glowing.

The two of them had also explored every part of each other, and it did not matter if it was already night-time, dawning or high-noon. Spring had passed only two weeks ago, and Serana had found that she now loved that season the most. With his Werewolf blood, Tarrion would have nigh-uncontrollable urges and Serana would only have to wink at him for him to grab her, no matter where they were… in bed, in the bath, on a small island in the middle of the lake, or even just behind the manor… there was nearly no place where they would hold back.

When Tarrion woke up he saw two glowing eyes stare at him. They did not blink, but the mouth below them was curled in a smile. He lay on his back and Serana had climbed on top of him. Her legs were wrapped around his, her waist and breasts were pressed against him and her head lay on her arms, leaning on his chest. A lock of her black hair fell over her eye, and he stroked it behind her ear and caressed her back, his fingers gently stroking her spine. Her skin felt cold as always, yet it was a cooling cold, not a freezing or icy cold. His skin felt warm against her, yet it was not a burning heat, but a soothing warmth. The covers lay over their waists and a slight breeze blew into the room.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

"Hmm.." Serana shrugged. "About a lot. What a nice day it is going to be… how I could use a nice breakfast… how I could just lie here all day… how much I love you…. What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm.." Tarrion shrugged. "About a lot. What a nice day it is going to be… how I could use a nice breakfast… how I could lie her all day with you beside me… how much I love you…."

She smiled at him. "So, how about we do just that and not do anything for the rest of the day?"

"Do absolutely nothing? Just lie in bed, not doing anything?"

"Hmm…" Serana teased him and she kissed his nose. "Who knows what the day may bring."

Tarrion knew what she meant and he smiled. "You've gained an appetite for me, haven't you?"

"How could I not? For the last few months you haven't been able to think about anything else, and… well, I thought it wrong to refuse."

"Mhm… sure. Except you have been wanting it just as much as me, remember? There was this one day where even I had to take a break."

Serana chuckled and she grinned seductively. "Vampiric blood. You're not the only one with stamina, and don't think that I was the only one to blame here. I've seen the look in your eyes when you look at me… and that was even before spring arrived."

"I can't help it. You're just too good-looking."

"Then tell me… what about me is it that draws you?"

"What draws me to you?" Tarrion asked surprised. "You mean beside your soft legs… lovely hips…. and slender waist?" and as he spoke, he gently caressed every part of her he spoke about. "Or your soft back… ample bosom… and supple neck? Your soft, rosy lips…. deep black hair… and your eyes…. That always glow with a beautiful, soft glow."

Serana bit her lip as she felt his strong hands softly stroking her body, the touch of his fingers on her skin, and she closed her eyes. His touch felt soothing and arousing and she started to feel warmer.

"Or maybe it is what we have been through together… what you have done for me, knowingly and unknowingly… The fact that I think you are beautiful… wonderful… loving… caring… and just the person I love more than anything…. Or maybe it is the combination of it all."

He wrapped his arms around her and pushed her close, feeling her body against him and he felt warm. "I joked that you can't get enough of me… well… I can't get enough of you either….. And what about you? What is it about me that draws you?"

Serana grinned. The gentle touch of Tarrion's hands on her body, made her feel good, and she fully intended to repay the favour.

"Well… it might be your firm waist…. Your strong back, or your large chest." and she felt how his skin flinched under her touch. She felt the scars on his abdomen and chest. "Or maybe your muscular arms… strong hands and gentle fingers…. Your dark hair, or your deep eyes… that always give me strength when I look in them."

She smiled at him and stroked his chin. "But it might also be of what we have done together. All the times we helped each other… when I could ask you for help, and never have you turned your back to me…. the fact that you never said anything against me being a Vampire, something that no-one else would do… that I can trust you completely, that you helped me in ways I cannot even describe… For being so handsome… for being patient with me…. understanding…. Loving…. For being my shoulder to cry on and the arms around me to comfort me…. The fact that I love you, and making me feel loved."

They looked in each other's eyes for a few moments, smiling. They lay in each other's arms and both knew that they were where they wanted to be.

"So…. Shall we have breakfast then?" Tarrion asked. "Or can breakfast wait?"

"Well… beside that, shouldn't you have gone downstairs a few hours ago? As Archmage you should tend to… matters of some import."

"You are an important matter." Tarrion answered smiling. "Besides, there is no rule that makes the Archmage get out of bed, and even if there is… I'm Archmage, I can do what I want. I can break a few rules."

And before Serana could say anything, he smothered her with a kiss.

After another hour, Tarrion finally went downstairs. In the Arcanaeum he found Urag Gro-Shub sitting on his usual chair behind a large desk filled with books. Faralda sat in a quiet corner, calmly reading a letter. As soon as she saw him, she jumped up.

"Archmage… good morning."

"Good morning, Faralda. How are things?"

"Normal… or 'as usual'. Meaning Onmund is again at odds with Enthir, although he never explains why…. Colette is complaining about everyone and everything… Brelyna keeps asking me if I can help her, although I keep telling her that I am too busy… and, as always, Nirya still treats me with disdain and jealousy."

"Small wonder." Tarrion chuckled. "You two have been butting heads for years."

"True…" Faralda sighed. "and I fear it has only gotten worse. But I did receive a letter from a few of the upcoming students. They write that they are staying in Winterhold, at the inn. They will wait until all have arrived and then arrive at the College in one group. Oh, and the Jarl has asked you for an audience."

She gave him a letter from Jarl Kraldar, in which he indeed requested Tarrion to appear for an audience.

"Mhm…" he nodded. "Very well. If there is nothing else, I will go to the Jarl right now. Let's resolve this as soon as possible."

Tarrion left the College over the stone bridge that spanned over the chasm that was left by the Great Collapse. The bridge ended at the edge of the town of Winterhold, a modest size city, which did not have many houses. The sun was slowly rising in the east, and early rays of sunlight appeared over the edge of the mountains far to the east. Half the town was already awake, and Birna had opened her shop already.

When Tarrion appeared in the jarl's longhouse, he noticed the mixed reactions he received from those who were present. A few guards made a respectful nod toward him, while a few others gave him a nasty look. Some still hated the College and Tarrion knew this but he did not care. Kraldar sat on his throne and looked up as Tarrion approached him.

"You requested an audience, my jarl?" Tarrion said, as he was still a thane of Winterhold, and thus the jarl was still his superior.

"Yes I did, Tarrion. I have heard that a group of new students will soon arrive at your College."

"You have heard correctly."

"Well then." Kraldar said quickly and he leaned forward. "I know that you are a good Archmage, and that you also have the best interests for Winterhold in mind, but I must still ask that you keep your students in check. Not many in Winterhold are fond of the College, in fact hardly anyone is, but trust that we can change that view by making sure that there will be no incidents with the College."

"Of course, my jarl." Tarrion answered respectfully. "I will make sure that all the students will behave according to the laws…"

"Ah, good…. That is good…"

"However…" Tarrion said, and although his tone kept its respect, it also became stronger. "You were right to say that many still hold no good will to the College, and thus I must say this. I will keep my students in check, but I will not allow the people of Winterhold to harass them, or the College, in any way. As thane, I am sworn to obey you… but as Archmage, I have the safety of the College and my students in mind."

Jarl Kraldar nodded. "Of course, of course. I understand perfectly, now how about we toast on it? On our mutual agreement?"

Tarrion smiled. "I thank you, jarl, but I must decline. I must go back to the College, as there are still many things that require my attention."

This was not true, but Tarrion just wanted to go back and be done with politics, and the jarl let him go.

Back at the College he found Serana talking to Brelyna, a young Dunmer who came to Skyrim to study Conjuration. They were both having themselves a gentle conversation in the Hall of Attainment. The rest of the students were not present, and Tarrion assumed they were most likely in the Arcanaeum or in the Hall of the Elements.

"… so, no." he heard Serana say. "With Conjuration it is not about the focus or the concentration of your spell, it is about the will that you have. With willpower you will achieve more than study."

"But study gives you the knowledge you need, right?"

"True, but if you want to summon an Atronach, it will not obey you through your knowledge alone. You must have the will to make it your ally, or else it will turn on you. And that is something you will not find in any book."

Brelyna nodded in understanding. "I see, so it is…. Oh, hello Archmage."

"Hello Brelyna. I see you have met Serana."

"Hello dear." Serana said with a smile. "You were gone, so I was walking around a bit and met Brelyna. It is nice to meet a young woman interested in magic."

"The jarl had some questions for me, nothing serious. But how are you Brelyna? Are you making any progress here?"

"Yes I am, Archmage. Yet it would be better if my fellow mages would be more cooperative. I have asked them if they could help me, but they always have something to do. Onmund is always hesitant when I ask… Enthir never even bothers to give me a straight answer… Nirya hardly seems to acknowledge my presence…. Faralda is nice to me, but she seems busy all the time…. And the others are never available."

"Have you asked J'Zargo? Maybe he can help."

The young Dunmer seemed to be uncomfortable with this idea. "Ehh.. no. I have asked him once, but he said 'J'Zargo is too skilled a mage to be helping those who are far below his skill.' Needless to say, I did not ask him again."

'That sounds like J'Zargo.' Tarrion thought to himself.

Serana looked from Brelyna to Tarrion and gave him a stern look. He looked at her and saw her eyes flash from him to Brelyna, and he sighed.

"I can help you, Brelyna. What do you need help with?"

He gave Serana a gaze that said 'Happy now?' and she smiled innocent at him.

"Really? Oh, thank you… yes I could use some help. Well… I need someone to practise a spell or two on. If you are willing… just stand there and don't move. I just need to…."

She turned around and ran toward her room, and after some rummaging around, she came back with a book in her hands.

"I wrote it down somewhere…. No, not here…. Where does this stain come from? Never mind… Ah! Here it is."

She placed the book on a nearby table and Tarrion stood perfectly still.

"This won't hurt…. Probably…" and she cast a small golden orb at him.

Tarrion felt nothing change, but Serana nearly chocked herself laughing.

"There now I…." and Brelyna's face turned sour. "Oh, no… that was not supposed to happen."

"What happened?" Tarrion asked, and he looked at his body. He noticed that his hands were green.

"Ehh… you look a little… ehh, green." And Brelyna started apologizing profusely. "I am so sorry.. I went over this again and again…. It just seems like a minor miscalculation on my part….. don't worry…. I am sure it will wear off soon."

Serana, in the meantime, had her hand over her mouth as she tried to contain her amusement. She saw how Tarrion stood in front of her with a bright green skin, which did not go well with his black hair. She snickered behind her hand.

"Stop laughing." Tarrion told her.

"I… I'm not." she answered, while still smiling.

Luckily the spell wore off after a while, and Tarrion's skin returned to normal. Brelyna had checked and re-checked her notes and seemed to find out what she did wrong. Thus, after the spell wore off, she asked if she could try again.

"Don't worry… it will go perfectly this time, I'm sure. I just need to know for sure if I am to become a better mage, right?"

Tarrion sighed, while Serana took a step back, and it was clear she was hoping for a show. "Alright… try again." and he hoped he had not just signed his death sentence.

"Alright… now don't move at all." And Brelyna cast another golden orb at him.

This time, Tarrion did feel himself change, and it seemed everything had become larger, or he had become smaller. Brelyna's face turned pale in shock, and Serana fell off her chair and started laughing.

"What happened?" is what Tarrion wanted to say, but instead of words, a long and deep 'Muuuuuuuhhhhh' was heard.

"Oh, my!" Brelyna stammered in panic. "That isn't right…. just wait, I can fix this!"

Before Tarrion could react again, she cast another orb at him, and everything became smaller, or he became taller.

"Oh, no!" Tarrion heard her beg, and he saw how Serana rolled over the floor, not being able to contain her laughter.

Tarrion looked down, and saw how his hands had turned to hooves, and he whinnied loud.

"Just let me try again!"

Another orb flew at him, and Tarrion felt his body shrink down so far, he couldn't even look over the table. He wanted to tell Brelyna to stop, but instead a loud bark escaped from his mouth. Serana held her hands over her stomach, as she clearly laughed so hard her stomach started to hurt. Tarrion quickly ran over to her, and he noticed how he, once again, stood on four legs. He barked loudly, but Serana had tears in her eyes from laughter and even when Tarrion growled at her, she only looked at him and laughed.

"Just wait! I can… I'll get it right this time, I swear!" Brelyna cried out, and before Tarrion could stop her, she cast another orb at him.

For the last time, he felt his body change and saw how his hands looked normal again. He felt his arms and legs again, and touched his face, and he seemed to be back to normal.

"There… all better." he heard Brelyna say, and she gave him an uneasy smile.`

While Serana was still laughing, Tarrion climbed back on his feet and gave Brelyna a stern piece of advice.

"We never speak of this again."

"Agreed." and she nodded quickly.

"That was amazing!" they heard Serana laugh. She managed to pull herself together, although her eyes were still wet with tears. "I can't remember the last time I laughed this hard…. Brelyna, you have got to teach me that spell."

"I'm not sure if that is a good idea…." Brelyna said hesitantly.

"Oh, don't worry about it." Serana smiled at her. "I won't use it on you."

"Brelyna, if you teach her that spell, I will kick you out of the College." Tarrion interrupted Serana, but they could hear he hardly meant it, and they saw a hardly visible smile on his face.

"O-of course, Archmage…." Brelyna stuttered. "I-I won't… I promise…"

"Come on, Tarrion… allow me some fun."

"No…"

And Tarrion left, and although Serana followed him, he noticed how she nodded at Brelyna.

At the end of the day, Tarrion and Serana left for his quarters. The new students would arrive the next day, and so Tarrion had the last few preparations taken care of, and now longed for some peace and quiet. As the two walked over the high walls of the College, the last rays of sunlight shone over the mountains, and Serana protected her face. On those moments Tarrion would be reminded of the fact that she doesn't like sunlight, something he would often forget as he saw her as a normal person, not as a Vampire.

"The students and teachers here seem to highly respect you." Serana remarked.

"Of course they do…. I am the Archmage after all." Tarrion smiled at her. "It is true that all of the teachers are here longer than me, but they all know what I have done for the College."

"You mean the Eye of Magnus events? That must have affected them in more ways than one, and you must have proven al lot, to be chosen Archmage before the teachers."

Serana chuckled. "Shame I wasn't there."

"We'll have events of our own, and we've already had plenty don't you think?"

"True enough."

When they reached the stairs that lead to the Archmage quarters, Tarrion stopped.

"You go ahead… I'll join you later. I have one last thing to take care of."

"Alright…. Don't be long." Serana said and she gave him a kiss on his cheek before walking up the stairs, while Tarrion left for the Arcanaeum.

As she neared the bed she looked forward to spending the night lying in the soft pillows and warm covers. A few Magelight orbs gave the entire area a silver glow, and after she doused all but one, she fell on the bed. For a few moments she lay there, staring at the arced ceiling and felt blissfully tired, like she could fall asleep any moment. She wouldn't even mind if she would fall asleep right now, in full clothing, but she decided it would be better not to.

Her clothes were mostly dark, and all had a hood to protect her against the sun, and covered almost every part of her skin. She first removed her flexible bracers and threw her cloak after them on a chair. She unstrapped her boots and kicked them near the chair, after which she started unbuttoning her tunic. The remaining light of the Magelight orb gave her skin a silvery pale look, and she saw how she almost glowed in the light. After she had removed her trousers, she dove under the covers, and felt the pillows and blankets on her naked skin. She felt how soothing it all glided past her waist and breasts, how soft it felt against her shoulders and legs, and she closed her eyes. The only thing missing now was Tarrion lying next to her, with his arms around her, his heartbeat sounding near her, and his warmth in her. She imagined it and smiled, and before she knew it, she fell asleep and dreamt.

Her dream, however, was not exactly pleasant.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

And that is the first chapter of the new arc. I do hope you like it and, as always, stay tuned for the next chapter.

I do have to tell you that I will write far slower from now on, in case you haven't noticed it already. I have three stories that I have to look after, plus my book. I also have work etc. to consider. But more than that, I have no motivation. For the last months I am dealing with a lack of motivation or energy to do anything, depression etc. So my writing speed will go down by a lot… 1 maybe 2 chapters per month… in total.

I have no intention of stopping this story though. It is not finished, not by a long shot, it is just that I find it difficult to write anything nowadays.

I do hope you will stay as patient as you have been thus far, and thank you all for still being interested.


	31. Forging the Past 2

**Forging the Past part 2**

Fires were burning all around her and it seemed as the entire valley was set ablaze. She saw countless people standing in anticipation, some looking at a massive elevated area, others looking at her with a dark hunger. Their eyes glowing bright in the darkness, or flaring in the light of the flames, but all had the same look. A look of great anticipation, like they were waiting for something, or couldn't wait for something. Their clothes were dark as the night, and their voices were sharp as they cried out and laughed and shouted and sung dark songs she had never heard before.

"I… I, I'm not sure if this was a good idea." a voice next to her said.

"I know what you mean." she answered, and her voice trembled.

She looked at her companion who wore the same clothes as her and had the same expression of fear on her face. Their clothes were black as the night and red as blood, and they were almost ceremonial. An open neck and low neckline, showing almost half of their breasts, and only a simple, blood red belt was strapped under their chest. Below the belt the robes hung loosely around their waists and legs, and could easily be pushed aside, revealing their naked bodies underneath as neither of them was wearing anything else.

"Serana… I…I'm scared."

"I know, Eseri…. Me too."

"Stop talking!" a rough voice behind them said, and both young women said nothing else. The group that escorted them past the countless Vampires were mostly large men with fiercely glowing eyes, holding the ropes by which they almost dragged the two women. The man in front of them gave a harsh tug and Eseri almost tripped and Serana could see the painful marks on her wrists. The same type of red marks she had as well.

They slowly reached the elevated area, and they both saw how sixty-six steps lead up to the highest point, and Serana noticed how the entire place looked almost like an altar. At the centre stood two massive pillars, made from black stone, yet many red lines, like blood veins, glowed in them, and unless the two women were deeply mistaken, and they hoped they were, the ground beneath the pillars was red with blood.

As soon as the two women neared the two pillars, they were forced to stop. The men that escorted them unbound them and left them, and soon the two women stood alone on the giant, altar-like plateau surrounded by hundreds of Vampires, and all their eyes were fixed on them. Waiting… anticipating…. Hungry for that one moment.

"W…we can't r-run now… can we?" Serana asked herself aloud. She felt her blood freeze as she looked at the scene around her, and her entire body was shaking with fear.

Eseri did not answer and Serana saw how tears of fear crawled from her eyes and how she lacked the strength to stand. Her skin was now so pale, her usually long, white hair looked grey in comparison. Serana grabbed her hand, but she herself felt a tear of fear welling up in her eye as well, and she knew that her legs were about to give in.

Suddenly there was silence. All Vampires around them had suddenly stopped screaming and shouting, and even the fires seemed to burn in silence. The stars were gone and a deep and intense darkness now fell over the valley. A deafening silence now ruled everywhere…. Gripping the heart in an icy grip that no normal man could bear.

Then a lone voice sounded.

"Bal."

First quietly, but stronger and louder every time.

"Bal….. Bal!... Bal!... BAL!"

And every time new voices joined.

"Bal!... Bal!... Bal!….. Bal!"

Until the entire valley shook and echoed with the sound of a thousand voices.

"BAL!... BAL!... BAL!...BAL!"

A horn sounded… it's haunting note only overruled by the constant shouting.

"S-s… Serana…." Eseri said and Serana saw how she stared in fear at the two pillars. And when she turned around, she saw why.

Both pillars were still covered with red, vein-like lines that glowed in the night, but now that had started to pulsate. Every time the Vampires shouted 'Bal', the lines glowed brightly for a moment, and then doused, only to glow again with the next shout. The two pillars seemed to pulsate now, like a grotesque heartbeat and the two women could almost hear the beating in their ears. Their own hearts were pounding rapidly in their chest, as if they were trying to escape, yet the two women knew that there was no escape now.

The two pillars pulsated again…. And again…. And again, until, with a terrifying roar, they burst into flames. Eseri and Serana screamed, but their voices were silenced in the roaring of the flames, and they saw how the flames neared each other. Slowly they reached to the other pillar, burning the air itself and the heat scorched the robes the two women wore, until the inferno had reached its peak.

A war-cry and a horn echoed, but this time it came from the flames. Red light now rent the air apart and a haunting cold chilled the two women to the bones, and they fell to their knees. Eseri grabbed Serana and screamed something, but Serana could not hear it, for out of the flames she saw a shadow made flesh step forth. A long gruesome, paw had stepped from the flames but it was not human, for it ended in a claw that burned with dark fire. It's skin was grey and black and a claw appeared from the flames. Serana's eyes were fixed, and it was as if her gaze was no longer in her control… like she had to look at the creature that stepped from the flames. Then, terrifying and monstrous, a horned head came. It had four horns and a maul like a beast, filled with sharp teeth, and the eyes were glowing like burning coals, and they looked down at the two women. A monstrous smile appeared and one could even hear a bestial laugh as the creature now emerged entirely from the flames.

* * *

 _A laugh came from the creature. It looked down at Serana, smiling. She screamed. Her scream carried above the roaring of the flames… above the shouting of the Vampires around her… above the laughing of Molag Bal himself._

 _She heard a voice in her head… calling her name._

" _Serana… Serana!"_

" _No!... No don't!... NOOOOO!"_

* * *

Her eyes opened and she saw someone standing over her. A figure that loomed over her and she kicked and clawed away from it.

"Serana! Calm yourself!"

"No! Get away from me! You will not have me! GET AWAY!"

"Serana! It's me! Tarrion! Calm yourself!"

And finally she saw clearly, and the shadow was no longer dark, and she was able to see his face and eyes. It was not monstrous at all, but handsome. The eyes were not glowing with fire, but were deep and strong. His skin was not grey and black, but light and smooth. She looked around still with fear and she saw that there was no fire around her, and the ground was not covered in blood. The walls were grey, and her bed was soft. A wardrobe stood against a wall, and her clothes were thrown on a chair. She cowered against the headboard of the bed, and she saw how Tarrion looked at her with concern and fear.

"Serana? Are you alright?"

It was the sound of his voice that finally calmed her, and she threw herself around his neck and she felt his arms around her and his hands on her naked back and she felt safe again. Her breath was still rapid, but it started to slow down, and her skin was wet with sweat.

"Oh, Tarrion." she said, and she felt a tear rolling over her cheek.

"I'm here…. I'm here." she heard him say and she felt how he held her tightly, a caring touch on her skin and she felt how she calmed.

"By the gods…" he whispered. "Are you alright?"

"Yes…. I am now…." she answered. "I'm sorry for that…. I had a nightmare."

"Clearly." Tarrion said as he was still in shock at how Serana had woken up. "But I don't think it was a normal nightmare."

Serana knew this to be true, yet the memory of it was still too fresh in her mind, and she preferred not to talk about it.

"Don't worry about me, Tarrion. It was just a nightmare."

But he was not convinced, and he looked her in her eyes. "Serana, I know you well enough by now to know that you are lying. I have seen you in many moods. Happy, angry, sad, joyful… but you were afraid just now, and that is something I have not seen in you."

She tried to look away, but his gaze kept her eyes fixed on him, the way only he could, and she knew he was right.

"You were terrified just now…. This was not a normal nightmare…. Tell me, what was it about?"

"I… I dreamt…." Serana stammered. She struggled to organize her thoughts. "I dreamt of the night of my turning."

"The night…"

Tarrion's eyes widened.

"Not at first." Serana continued. "At first I dreamt of my family…. But there were only small fragments, and I don't really remember most of it…. But then I was surrounded by Vampires, but I was not one of them. I was forced on a large plateau in the middle of a large valley…. There were two pillars… they glowed…."

Tarrion softly squeezed her arm. "Are you alright?"

Serana nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She nodded again.

"Alright then…." Tarrion said. "Then tell me everything…. From the beginning."

Serana looked out one of the windows and sighed. Like she tried to remember something long forgotten.

"I hardly remember the beginning." she said. "But I guess we can begin at the day it all started. The day my father captured a living Vampire."

* * *

" _You see… my father, at the time, was a powerful warlord. A king you might say, and I was his daughter. Our lands were vast, and spread out over all of Skyrim, and only the easternmost areas were not part of our domain, yet they were vassals to us. Castle Volkihar was a keep and a palace in its days of glory._

 _We had everything one could ever want. Lands… vassals, armies, servants, wealth beyond imagining…. We had everything. And my father was the king of it all, and yet he feared only one thing. Death. He feared his own mortality, yet at first it was because of noble… almost romantic reasons. He never wanted to leave us. He loved my mother and me and wanted to stay with us forever. At that time we were a normal, and happy family._

 _Until one day, my father encountered a Vampire."_

* * *

She woke up from a long and pleasant sleep. As her eyes opened she saw the room glow in the light of the large chandelier that hung from the ceiling. Another candle was placed beside her bed and she took a deep breath through her nose. The covers were warm and soothing, but she threw them aside and stepped out of her bed. A long, red and black nightgown hung from a chair and she put it on, covering herself. Before she would leave her room, she walked to a small mirror and tied her hair black hair. Two small braids on both sides of her head hung from her forehead and were tied behind her head. She saw herself in the mirror and checked if she looked presentable. Her hair was black and her eyes were deep blue, the same shape and size as her mother's. She smiled and walked away to the dining hall.

A great number of servants walked in and out the hall, carrying trays with food, goblets with wine, plates, cutlery and more. As soon as Serana walked in the hall, all of the servants stopped with what they were doing, and made a deep bow to her.

"Good morning to you, Lady Serana."

Serana nodded back and looked around to see if she saw her parents, but neither of them were to be seen.

"Where are my mother and father?" she asked the servant.

"I have not seen them, milady."

Serana nodded and left the dining hall and walked up a large staircase that lead to the bedrooms. At the end of a large hallway she saw two large, ornamented doors. There were no guards posted in this part of the castle as there was no need. She carefully opened one of the doors and listened if she could hear anyone.

".. Why of course…" she heard a man's voice say. "You are my queen."

"Hmmm… and what would my king ask of his queen?" a woman's voice asked seductively.

"I would ask her to remove those covers, so I can kiss her between her breasts."

Serana heard a playful yelp and quickly closed the door.

'Wow…' she thought to herself. 'That was something I did not want to hear.'

The entire day was on all accounts blissful. The sun shone bright throughout the entire day, and after only a handful of petitioners came to Lord Harkon for advice and requests Serana spend most of her time in the garden, reading books or just lying in the sun.

"Serana."

Her mother walked up to her, and her wine-red hair almost glowed in the sun. She smiled at her daughter as she saw how Serana clearly enjoyed the day.

"Yes mother?"

"Are you hiding from me again?"

Serana conjured an expression of ignorance and surprise. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Sure you don't." Valerica said with a smile and sat down on a wooden bench next to Serana, who leaned against a rock near a small pond. "You know full well what day it is today."

Serana sighed. "Yes mother, I know. But I believe you also know that my answer will always be no."

"Serana, be reasonable. Do you want to grow old alone, and eventually see how suitable young men find another?"

"I do hope they find another." Serana smiled. "That would mean that they would finally stop pestering me with proposals."

"Serana, you really need to find yourself a good man." Valerica interrupted her daughter, and she leaned in. "You are now at an age where most of your age get married… plan a future together…. Have children… or at least get betrothed. When I met your father-.."

"Yes, yes." Serana interrupted her. "I know the story. 'You met at moonlight, the stars were reflected in the lake… and in his mesmerizing eyes. His gaze was captivating… so manly… so handsome… your heart was in your throat, pounding faster and faster'-.."

"No… that is…" Valerica blushed. "That is not what I mean. I mean that you need to choose a man that you want to spend your life with."

"How can I choose if you almost never let me leave, and roam Skyrim on my own? You keep me here ,'for my safety' so you say… yet you expect me to marry someone I don't even know? That makes no sense."

Valerica wanted to say something back but changed her mind and simply sighed. "Then will you at least tell me when you do want to get married?"

"When I meet the right man…. Not when the 'the right man' shows up at our doorstep."

"Just promise me that you'll look out for someone with a good trade? Not a… farmer… or a bard…. And promise me you'll never, ever, fall in love with an 'adventurer'? They attract trouble and never have no mind beyond the reach of their sword."

* * *

" _I see you didn't listen to her." Tarrion chuckled._

" _What? You're no adventurer." Serana smiled back. "You are a thane, nine times over… Archmage…. Harbinger and of course the Dragonborn of legend."_

" _You forget that I became most of those things because I started adventuring."_

" _Ah well… In that case I guess I could do worse."_

* * *

The day turned to evening and after dinner Serana, Valerica and Harkon walked through the castle garden and talked. Harkon, tall, dark hair, bright eyes and handsome walked hand in hand with his wife, and listened at how Serana once again refused to marry any of the suitors that had come by.

"Serana, you must make up your mind one of these days. None of us lives forever, and you need to look to your future."

His tone was sharp, yet there was also a slight tone of care, although it was hardly noticed by Serana. Her smile disappeared.

"I know this father… Mother had already told me the same thing. But I want to live my own life, not a life that some man throws at me."

"You are stubborn," Harkon said. "But stubbornness is not always a good thing. One must learn to adapt, and sometimes decisions are made for you."

Serana knew it would not help to answer, no matter if she agreed or disagreed with her father.

"Harkon, we can talk about this another time." Valerica suggested and her husband sighed.

"I will go back inside…. There are still some matters I must attend to." and he walked away.

Valerica sighed, but Serana looked up to the darkening skies. She knew that her father meant it well, but she hardly ever saw it. She knew she could always confide in her mother, yet her father always seemed more occupied with other matters. And she disliked that. She knew he was a king with responsibilities, but would it be so hard to show care for your daughter?

Later that evening Serana lay alone in her bed. She stared at the walls and thought about what her parents had said. It was true that she had reached an age at which most would marry, yet she had turned down every suitor that came. She knew she could not wait forever, and at some point she had to marry. It was something she used to look forward to. When she was younger she would dream of a handsome prince to take her away to a far land and make her a queen. Yet as she grew older she found it far less romantic to have a stranger decide who she would be.

At that moment she heard commotion outside her room. At first it sounded like some insignificant noise, but as she listened more closely she heard it was not.

"Make him sit still!"

"Grab the silver!"

"Hold him!"

Serana stepped out of her bed and grabbed some simple clothes and left to see what it was all about.

In the main hall of the castle the commotion was great. Dozens of guards stood around a single man, and all had their weapons drawn. Serana could not see who the man was, but everyone seemed to think he was dangerous. A moment later Harkon and Valerica also came running.

"What is the meaning of this?" Harkon shouted.

"My lord," a guard started. "We have found this man trying to sneak into the castle."

"Who dares to infiltrate 'my' home?" Harkon asked and he walked past the guard toward the now chained man.

"He has not given his name sir…. Be carefull, my lord. He is a Vampire."

Serana saw Harkon freeze, and Valerica went pale. Her eyes flashed from her husband to the man in the middle of the hall. Serana still stood at the top of the stairs and saw how Harkon took a long look at the man.

"Take him outside and kill him!"

Valerica stood lower on another staircase on the other side of the room, and she stared at the man. Several of the guards had grabbed the man by his arms and were about to carry him outside when Harkon shouted.

"Wait!"

All who were present now looked at Harkon who apparently tried to think as fast as possible. After a few moments he looked up.

"Take him to the dungeons… chain him and put silver over the bars."

Immediately the guards took the man away while the rest went back to their posts. Harkon stood alone in the middle of the hall and did not move.

As Serana and Valerica descended down the stairs Harkon walked toward them.

"Harkon…. Why did you spare him?" Valerica asked. "He is a Vampire…. A monster… why didn't you kill him?"

"I need to think." Harkon answered and walked past the two women and left to his quarters.

Serana and Valerica stayed behind and looked at how Harkon left. Neither of them knew what this could mean. Neither of them knew if they should be worried or not. Neither of them knew of how much their lives were about to change.

-End of Chapter-

* * *

-Author's Notes-

So… that took a while. Sorry for the delay.

But this is how the story will go for now. Serana reliving the time before she became a Vampire, and after it. I'm not sure how detailed I will make it, but we'll see.

For now, that is it for this chapter. Stay tuned for the next one and stay patient.


	32. Forging the Past 3

**Forging The Past part 3**

 _The days turned to weeks, to months, to years… and all this time I saw my father change more and more. I tried to talk to him, to reason with him, to somehow reach through to him…. But he had changed. I would sometimes look at him and see a stranger… someone who wasn't really my father, just a pretender… and I would then blame myself and hate myself for thinking such things. Every day he became more and more… I can only call it 'obsessed'… with the Vampire he had in his cell. He used to be a harsh but just king… but during those years he would sometimes bring prisoners and feed them to the vampire. He would do this in secret, and he would try to make sure nobody would find out but me and my mother knew about it…. And after a while others found out too._

 _We became followers of Molag Bal… we all did. The promises of power appealed to my father… and eventually my mother started to listen to them as well. My father had a small cathedral built within the castle, and a large altar was made in it, bearing the hideous resemblance of Molag Bal._

 _It was also during that time when other tribes and smaller kingdoms started to take our lands. My father would hardly pay attention to those matters anymore… he was too occupied… too obsessed… with his pursuit of immortality._

* * *

She slowly snuck down the stairs… avoiding the light of the torches that lit the dark hallways and stairs. She hated this part of the castle and she had effectively avoided it for most of her life, but now she would visit these parts more than she liked. But she had to, she wanted to know…. She needed to know.

She reached a large wooden door, reinforced with iron plating, but it was unguarded. She knew this, and she also knew the reason behind it. Her father did not want anyone anywhere near him when he would be down there. She quietly opened the door and entered a large, wide hallway with dozens of doors, and staircases led down to the darkness below.

She heard voices. They echoed through the entire area, yet she could not hear what the voices said. She silently walked through the hall, and reached a dark staircase and followed it down.

"That is something I'm sure you can arrange."

She hated that voice. It was a calm voice that could get under your skin in seconds. It radiated confidence, but of a creepy nature.

"What is preventing me from simply letting you starve, and find another to take your place and tell me what I want to know?"

It was her father's voice. It still sounded the same way… it was the same voice she knew, yet there was a difference in tone… it was still calm and fierce, yet with an almost scared undertone.

"Very simple…. Not everyone knows what I know… I am a lot older than you… and I have picked up more than you'd expect."

Serana hear that her father did not answer immediately, but appeared to think. She dared not get any closer, because she knew Vampires could sense blood. If she would get too close, he would sense her.

"Very well…." Harkon said, and his voice sounded reluctant. "Last time you told me Molag Bal requires something… devotion we have already given, sacrifices have already been made… but what else? What else is needed to become a Pure Blooded Vampire? Not some… pathetic half-breed like you… but a true Vampire?"

The voice chuckled and did not seem offended in any way. "You will have to strike a bargain with our Lord himself. Give him something he wants…. What that is, is something no-one can tell you…. But what you want comes at a price… a very high price."

"What price?"

Serana heard the Vampire chuckle, but she did not hear what he said afterwards. He had started to whisper. She dared not get any closer, because she knew the Vampire would sense her. So she stayed for a few more moments, trying to overhear anything, but he spoke too quiet for her to hear it, and after a while she left.

* * *

Serana stopped and she sighed. A slight glow came from the high windows, indicating that dawn was approaching. Tarrion still sat in front of her, seated on a chair while she leaned against the headboard of the bed.

"The months that followed were very much the same. My father would spend hours upon hours talking to the Vampire, and all the while the realm started to decline. All his attention were drawn to the Vampire, and his pursuit for immortality."

She sighed again. "He had changed. We all had. At first we were a normal family, but the next moment I could hardly recognize my parents. I couldn't even speak to my father anymore, and my mother was too occupied with her own affairs…. Until one day, my father announced he had discovered how we could all become immortal. I still remembered how I felt, because for a moment I thought I saw a shadow of his old self again. Like he had found a way to safe us…. But I quickly discovered it was nothing more than a façade. He told us we would travel to Morrowind… to a secret place."

"What kind of place?" Tarrion asked, but Serana shook her head.

"I have spent my entire life trying to forget it, and I have succeeded. I no longer remember where it is, and even if I did… I wouldn't tell. Let's just say it was a large valley."

* * *

 _I still remember what it looked like, and try as I might… I cannot forget it. We arrived there and I could tell immediately that there was no going back. There were hundreds of Vampires, and only a handful of humans. Six in total, and one of them was a young woman of my age. Eseri she was called, but I don't know where she was from, but I assume she was from another powerful family. We became…. I guess we became friends…. Or as close as you can get in a place like that. I think it is safe to say she was the reason I did not lose my mind there during the days we… prepared._

* * *

The two young women sat in a large tent, along with three other women, including Valerica. Serana and Eseri were clearly the most afraid, and they sat in a corner, while one of the other women had tears in her eyes. Even Valerica was undeniably scared and Serana could see her mother shake, even though she tried to hide it. The third woman was the only one that was not scared, and she sat in an uncomfortable chair like it was a throne. She had long black hair and a pale skin, and if Serana didn't know better, she would say she was already a Vampire. It almost seemed as if she was bored and tired of waiting.

"What do you think will happen?" Serana whispered as quiet as she could so the others wouldn't hear her.

"I don't know. They said they would offer us… but…. That can't be true…. Right? They won't kill us… right?"

"No..." Serana said hesitantly. "No… you're right…. They wouldn't…. we came here to be one of them."

"But how will that happen?" Eseri asked. "What is this 'ceremony' that they are talking about?... what will happen to us?"

Serana did not answer, because she had the same questions.

After a while the entrance to the tent was thrown open and two women came in. Serana could immediately see the glowing eyes and the fangs in their mouths as they grinned at them. Both of them carried a package, and when they opened it Serana saw they contained clothing.

"Put these on… all of you. You cannot wear anything else."

Serana and Eseri had two robes thrown at them, and they could see they were ceremonial. Pitch black and red as blood with a simple red, leather belt. Eseri looked with wide eyes from Serana to the two Vampires that now stood in the middle of the tent waiting.

The other women had already started to disrobe and the woman that hadn't shown any fear already stood naked and grabbed the robe from her chair. It fell down her body and she walked around like it was she was royalty. Serana thought she probably was royalty, but right now she hesitated as she looked at the robes she had in her hands.

"Is there a problem?" one of the Vampires said harsh.

"N-no… no." Serana quickly answered and she started to remove her boots.

Eseri followed her example and tried her best to cover herself, and her long, white hair fell over her curves. Serana could not cover herself and as soon as she had removed her last piece of clothing, she quickly grabbed the robes and put them on.

She found them to be incredibly uncomfortable. She had never dressed herself like this, with no undergarments and these robes left little to the imagination. With a very low and wide neckline her chest was barely covered and with every step she took, her legs were exposed. The sleeves were short and very wide, making her feel like she had nothing on at all.

Eseri seemed to feel the same, as she tried her best to cover her chest with her arms, and pull the robes as far over her legs as possible.

"Good." one of the Vampires said. "You will come with us, two by two."

One of the women, the one who was not afraid, already stepped forward, but the Vampire gave her an icy glare.

"WE will pick who goes first." and she looked at Serana and Eseri. "Those two will go first."

The woman opened her mouth in protest, but another glare made her close it.

"You two! Come with us."

* * *

Serana sighed. "They bound our wrists, and dragged us away. My mother did nothing in protest…. I wasn't sure if it was out of fear, or….. I don't know…"

"What happened then?"

Tarrion looked at her, and it was clear he could understand the horror of it all. His face had an expression of pity and disgust.

Serana told him about the dream she had, and although she left out a few details, she told him everything. But when she started to tell about the creature that had stepped from the flames she stopped, but Tarrion didn't need to hear more. He knew.

Serana sighed again. "The next thing I remember was waking up. They had put us all in coffins atop wooden pyres. I was the first to wake up…. My mother was the second… and the last."

"No-one else survived?"

Serana shook her head. "No. The others did not survive….. I remember I woke up naked. The robes I wore were gone. I remember how my legs felt weak, and yet an unknown strength coursed through them. The wind blew against my skin, yet I could not feel the cold. I could see everything around me, yet it was in the middle of the night….. they soon brought a young man to me. Tied by his arms and legs and threw him at my feet, and without a warning, they gave him a small cut on his neck."

She stared at the covers, and she could still remember the fear in the man's eyes. The horror… the begging… and eventually the silence… the emptiness that was left.

"Before I could control myself I grabbed him and sank my teeth into his neck. I did not stop until there wasn't a single drop left in him. I remember the warm taste and feeling…. How it entered my mouth and descended down my throat for the first time… how it gushed from his neck and throat… how it splashed over my skin….. how he screamed in pain… how he begged and pleaded…. How-.."

Tarrion leaned in and took her hand and gave it a slight squeeze. "You can stop if you want."

Serana nodded and gave him a watery smile. "I know… but I'm alright. It's just… it has been a while since I remembered it."

She sighed again. "I tried to find Eseri… I climbed on one of the pyres to look for her, yet after I saw the first one… it was the woman who had shown no fear. I never knew her name, but what she looked like, I will never forget. Her hair had become like ash… her face was moulded in this image of horror embodied. Her mouth open, her tongue blackened, her eyes staring and empty and black blood came from under her eyes. Her hands and arms were petrified and over her entire body, you could see her veins… all were blackened… I did not look for Eseri any further. I did not want to see her in that way. When the night was up, the pyres were lit, burning those who did not survive. The Vampires treated us differently. I saw.. no, I felt… how almost all of them were normal Vampires, and almost none of them were Pure-Blooded. They now bowed for us, though reluctantly. When I later met my father again, I saw that he too was a Vampire."

"How?" Tarrion asked. "Your mother said the females were offered to Molag Bal, and you explained how only women were in that tent with you…. How did your father became a Vampire?"

"I don't know." Serana sighed and she shook her head. "I honestly don't know, but I assume it must have been some sort of bargain. The most depraved bargain you could think of. I think he made a deal with Molag Bal. He gave him us, my mother and me… and in return he would be made into a Vampire. He traded and risked the lives of his wife and daughter…. For power."

Serana took a deep breath. Both of them noticed how the day had dawned and an orange light now fell through the windows of the Arcmage's quarters. They had hardly noticed how much time had passed since Tarrion had woken Serana from her nightmare.

"After that… well…. You know the story." Serana continued. "My parents became really icy toward each other. I tried to live a normal life, but that proved to be impossible. I was no longer a little girl… or even a princess, the daughter of a king. I was now a Pure-Blooded Vampire… a daughter of Coldharbour. That is a feeling you cannot ignore, and you change because of it. I had never been very close with my father, but now I hardly even talked to him. I still spent a lot of time with my mother, but that wasn't really a 'mother-daughter relationship'. It felt more like she was a teacher and I was her student, like I was her protégé. That did not mean I did not enjoy the time I spent with her, but even that faded after a while. And then my father discovered that prophecy… my mother was trying to work against him, or reason with him…. She kept feeding me her opinions of him, only to eventually shut me out completely…. And I was left without a father and a slowly disappearing mother. It's definitely been a bad thing on the whole."

Tarrion came sitting next to Serana and wrapped his arm around her. He wanted to say that it was alright now, but before he could, Serana gave him a kiss on his jaw.

"I know… thank you. For this and for listening."

She pressed her leg against his and hugged him back.

"So…" she said and her tone became lighter. "how do you feel now that you know that I am actually a princess?"

Tarrion chuckled. He knew she was trying to lighten the mood and change the subject, and he decided to go with it. "What do you want me to do? Shower you with flowers and call you 'milady' or 'Lady Serana'?"

"Hmm, I wouldn't say no to the flowers…. And 'milady' sounds good."

Tarrion smiled at her. "Well then, milady, you must excuse me. There are new students arriving today, and I have to be ready to meet them."

This was not a moment too early, because right before Tarrion got dressed and wanted to head downstairs, Faralda knocked on the door.

"The new students can be here any moment. You should get ready."

"I am ready. Could you lead the students to the Hall of the Elements for me? I will wait for them there."

An hour later the doors to the Hall of the Elements opened and a group of around twenty young students entered the hall. There was only one Nord in the group, but Tarrion was not surprised as most Nords have no love for Magic. There were several Bretons though, two Imperials, a female Khajiit, two Argonians and six Elves, three of them Dunmer, and one Bosmer. Faralda was walking in front of the students, and Tarrion could see she was in her element. The other teachers had also gathered in the hall, and Serana stood in the back of the group.

Tarrion greeted the newcomers heartily, yet professional, first explaining a bit about the history of the College, and then introduced the teachers.

"Each of the Schools of Magic have a teacher here. I will not be teaching you…. That responsibility lies in the capable hands of the teachers you see around you. For those who want to study Conjuration, to learn about other planes, other worlds than this one, about powers besides the ones we can see… You can learn from Phinis Gestor. For those who want to study Illusion, to learn how to influence the mind, the senses without others knowing it…. You can learn from Drevis Neloren. For those who want to study Restoration, to learn how to heal almost any wound, to be able to protect yourself and others from curses and diseases, to earn the gratitude of any who you help…. You can learn from Colette Marcette. For those that want to study Destruction, to learn how to defend yourself from any enemy, to be able to bend fire, frost and lightning to your will, to learn the very essence of these elements…. You can learn from Faralda, the very same who showed you in here. And last, but not least, for those that want to study Alteration, to learn how to change energies at will, to transform the material world and manipulate it in ways you didn't think would be possible…. You can learn from Tolfdir, one of the most esteemed Wizards in Skyrim."

As Tarrion named each of the Schools of Magic and named each of the teachers, they stepped forward. Colette with a slight nod, Drevis with an extravagant bow, Phinis with a gesture of his hand, Faralda with a proud smile, and Tolfdir with his beard trembling with amusement.

"The Arcanaeum is located above us. This is where you will find the library, and the one that guards all that knowledge; Urag Gro-Shub. I will give you all this warning once; do not disrupt the Arcanaeum. It is a place where you can study and read in peace. No practical research will be done there. If you do… Urag will make you regret it."

Urag made a threatening growl, yet a smile was clearly visible.

"And to introduce the last member of our College, Nirya. She will be able to answer any question you have regarding the rules of your stay, research proposals and other questions. If you break any rules, you will be send to her or Faralda. My advice? Don't be a problem."

Serana heard it all while she stood in the back of the group, and she smiled. She saw how Tarrion spoke with strength, yet it was not threatening. He made the rules clear and simple, yet pressed everyone not to break any. She recognized the same power in his voice she had heard many times before. A strong and absolute power, yet not destructive or offensive. It was the first time she saw Tarrion as the Arcmage, and she liked what she saw.

"Now… if you have any questions regarding what is and what is not allowed, or about the different Schools… save them for the teachers."

One of the Breton stepped forward. "Sir… is it true that the Dragonborn used to study here?"

Tarrion saw Faralda's eyes flash at him and he smiled. "Yes… he was a student here, but not anymore."

"Did he graduate here? Or did he just leave?"

"He…. Sort of… finished his studies here." Tarrion said. "But where he is now? Who knows. Any other questions?"

"Is it true that the College was involved in the Great Collapse?"

"No… but you should ask Tolfdir about that. He knows more about it than I do."

Aside from two other small questions the students knew what they needed to know and Faralda escorted them to the Hall of Attainment.

With the students gone the teachers went about their daily business, but Tolfdir walked up to Tarrion.

"A good speech, Arcmage. Long enough to explain it all, yet short enough to keep everyone's attention."

"Thanks Tolfdir, and you know you can call me Tarrion." Tarrion answered. "I am the Arcmage, but you are all here longer than I am."

"I know. But I have called Savos 'Arcmage' for so long, I cannot imagine addressing anyone in that position by his name."

"See?" Serana said as she walked up to Tarrion. "Lydia is not the only one who keeps doing that."

Later that evening Tarrion went to bed tired. It was for the first time in a long while that he actually had a lot to do. Aside from addressing the students, he had to make notes of all of them. Make sure they all had what they needed, look after the needs of the teachers, and, after he made doubly sure she knew what she was doing, he helped Brelyna with more of her research.

Serana was still awake, and she stood alone on the roof of the college and breathed in the cold northern air. The night had fallen and only a few last rays of sunlight fell over the mountains to the west. She felt the rays on her skin, and for a few moments she could feel the heat. She knew it would eventually scorch her, yet these last few rays did her no harm and she savoured the moment. The heat had something pleasant, and she stayed until the sun had completely set. The stars appeared and with only a few clouds she could see them all. With her Vampiric vision she could see them in all their glory. Colours no human would be able to see, against a deep blue sky. Humans would see it as a black night, yet she knew better. A last, barely visible even to her, orange line fell on the eternal snow of the higher mountains, and she sighed in awe of the beauty of the night. On these moments she would love to live during the night, and sleep during the day. Yet the love she felt for Tarrion and the feelings she had for him and the warmth he gave her every time he touched her, was something she would not miss for the world. She knew he would travel the night with her in a heartbeat, and she would do the same for him. She smiled happily as took a last deep breath and headed downstairs to Tarrion's quarters.

There she saw him, fast asleep. He lay on one side with one arm around a pillow and the other over his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, even while still a few meters away from him. She looked at him and smiled, the way one could only smile at someone they love.

She started to remove her clothing and hung them in one of the wardrobes. Her boots she placed near one of the chairs, and she didn't stop removing her clothes until she had nothing on at all. It was how she loved to sleep. Her skin against Tarrion's skin, without any clothing between them.

Then she entered the bed, making her way under the covers to Tarrion. He still lay there, his chest going up and down under his breath, his brows furrowed in a frown.

She placed herself against him. She removed the pillow from his arm, replacing it with her own body. She could feel how she pressed her breasts against his chest, and she could feel his warmth against her. She stroked his hair gently and gave him a soft and tender kiss while she stroked her finger past his jaw. He moved in his sleep and his other arm fell around her and she felt a deep sleep come over her.

This was for her the ultimate feeling. She loved it and she loved him, and she wouldn't trade anything for it. She would gladly give up the beauty of the night for him.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

Soo…. That took a bit, but there it is. I do hope you liked it, especially Serana's story. All of it is made up however. The lore doesn't say much about it, so I just made it up, while still trying to let it make a bit of sense.

Anyways… that is it for now. I will try to go a bit faster with the chapters that are still to come. I have like four stories to worry about right now, but I still give this one the most attention. Why? The loyal fanbase of course :)


	33. Forging the Past 4

**Forging the Past part 4**

Serana woke up. Her eyes felt like they were glued shut and she quickly felt the soft bed and covers around her. It still seemed to be dark outside, and she had half a mind of turning around and sleep some more. She stretched and yawned, and she felt how her skin glided over the soft matrass. She regretted it immediately for it woke her up and she stared at the arced sealing.

Today would be their last day at the College before they would return to Falkreath. Part of her looked forward to it. The prospect of being in a comfortable wooden house again, with nice food, a nice smell, a large bath and a far less chilling view made her long for Lakeview Manor. On the other hand she had started to like the College, and had become friends with Brelyna, who proved to be pleasant company. What was more, is that Serana had persuaded her to give up the spell she had used on Tarrion while the potential victim was tending to important College affairs. She smiled when she thought about it, and about how Tarrion would react if he found out. She wasn't sure if he would like it, but there had yet to be anything he could refuse her, and she doubted this would be the first.

When she thought of him she turned her head, and saw how he was still fast asleep. He moved slightly, like he was dreaming and she wondered what things he would dream about, and what the nature of those dreams were. Were they filled with dangerous beasts and dragons he was fighting? Or were they a land of dreams were only the two of them were. Were they of a hostile nature, filled with battles worthy of songs, like most Nords would probably dream? Or were they of a more erotic nature, where it would only be him, her and a sturdy and comfortable bed? Or perhaps even no bed at all.

She smiled when she saw how he moved and he even mumbled a bit in his sleep, but they were only mumbles and she couldn't make out what he said. But after a few more, impossible to understand mumbles, she kept hearing the same. And unless she was mistaken, he was saying a name…. and it wasn't hers.

"…aria…" she first heard vaguely, but then clearer. "ka…. Katria…."

It was now unmistakable. He was saying a name. 'Katria'. She had never heard that name before, and she started to wonder why that was, and more importantly, why Tarrion was dreaming about her. The feeling of euphoria disappeared and she looked at him. Who is Katria?

A part of her warned her. This… Katria…. Whoever it may be, was apparently someone that meant something to Tarrion. And for her to appear in his dreams…. That must mean she still means a lot to him. Her female instincts kicked in and she immediately felt jealousy toward this woman.

A different part of her told her not to worry. Whoever this Katria may be, she knew that there was no other woman Tarrion would want to be with, but her. She knew she was his one and only, and if he had never mentioned a 'Katria', that could also mean he had already forgotten about her. No…. Tarrion would never hide something like this from her. Serana knew this, and she knew that she meant everything to him….

And yet…

Slowly Tarrion opened his eyes. He blinked a few times before he could see, and he quickly noticed how Serana sat up straight and looked at him.

"Good morning." he slowly said and he stroked her arm with his finger.

"Hmmm… that remains to be seen." Serana responded, and she looked with a half-serious, half-amused suspicion at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Well…." and she proceeded to sit on his lap and squinted her eyes. "It depends on whether or not you will answer my question truthfully."

She had her fingernail placed on the centre of his chest, half seductively and half intimidating.

"Oh?" Tarrion responded and he gave her a sly smirk. "And what if I don't?"

"I will turn you into a whole array of barn-animals."

Serana's sultry voice was still half serious and half amused, and she knew it was more of a playful threat, rather than a real one.

"Wait… How do you even….." Tarrion said, and then he looked to the entrance to his quarters. "Brelyna…. She taught you the spell?"

"Don't change the subject, Tarrion." Serana said quickly and she pressed her finger harder on his chest. "I will be the one asking the questions."

"Very well." Tarrion said and he saw that he did something wrong, although he did not know what it was.

"You see…" Serana started. "I woke up before you… and it was clear you were having a dream. You were moving and mumbling things."

"I was talking in my sleep?"

"No…" Serana said, and she moved her finger down to his abdomen. "No questions from you… only answers. So when you were mumbling…. You were saying a name…"

She saw how Tarrion widened his eyes a bit, and then he understandingly nodded.

"And… it wasn't your name." he finished her sentence.

"Mhm…" Serana nodded. "So I have only one question for you." and she moved her finger even lower until it was placed right above his manhood.

"Who is Katria?"

Tarrion gave her a confused look.

"Katria?" and he seemed to ask himself the same question. "I was dreaming about her?"

"Apparently…." Serana said and she moved her finger in circles on Tarrion's loins. "So you can understand why I want to know. You were in bed with me, and then you dream of another woman? Tsk, tsk. Bad idea, Tarrion. So I naturally want to know about her. Who is she?... where I can find her?….who do I need to kill?….. should I be worried?….. you know? Just routine questions."

"I see." Tarrion smiled, and he saw how she also relaxed. "Well… you don't need to worry though… she is dead."

Serana's smirk disappeared. "Oh…. I… I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"That's alright." Tarrion calmed her. "She was already dead when I met her."

"What do you mean by that? Wait….. was she a Vampire too?" and Serana felt her smirk reappear. "Do you have a thing for Vampires by any change? A secret desire for us? A wanton lust after the seductiveness of someone like me?"

And while she teased him she leaned over him, until her face was only a few inches away from his. Her hair almost reached the tip of his nose and she gave him an almost lustful smirk, and she bit her lip.

"No…. just you." Tarrion smiled at her. "As for Katria… she had already died before I met her….. I met her ghost."

"Her ghost?"

Serana sat up straight again and looked puzzled. "I read that sometimes someone's ghost can stay behind on this world… but then there has to be something keeping them here. A spell or curse or some such. "

"That's right." Tarrion nodded. "In her case it was her life's work. She died before completing it… and she was not able to rest until she did."

"What was her life's work then?"

"Do you want to know the whole story?"

She thought about it for a moment, and then nodded.

"Yes… I want to know why she was apparently so special that you dreamt about her…. I want to know why she is special."

Tarrion chuckled and sighed deeply. That adventure now came back to him, and how much he had enjoyed it. Serana climbed off him and leaned against the headboard, and Tarrion sat up straight. He took a few breaths before he started to tell her about what was one of his greatest adventures.

* * *

 _Where do I even start? I guess I can start right after I had become the thane of the Reach a few years ago. I helped the people there and eventually I was made thane. I was given a house, a housecarl and of course the title and its privileges. After a few days in Markarth, resting, I was reading a book called 'The Aetherium Wars'. It seemed to be about a strange mineral called Aetherium and how the Dwemer of Skyrim were vanquished because of it. After reading it thoroughly, I saw that the book mentioned the Dwemer ruins of Arkngthamz several times, and how that used to be a place of study and research for the Dwemer. And so, you know me, I set out to take a closer look. I read it was located in the mountains in the southeast of the Reach, and after asking at one of the nearby Orc strongholds, I found the place._

* * *

After what seemed like ages, Tarrion finally found the first lead. A stone that was cut with extreme precision, the way only the Dwemer were able to cut it.

"Hmm… it seems to have been crumbled of a building." he said to himself. "I'm getting closer."  
A massive rumble made the earth quake and tremble. In the distance above him he could see how the earthquake caused a small avalanche and huge amounts of snow had started moving. He remembered what the Orc had told him and he followed the ravine further eastward and toward the ever growing mountains. When he looked at the floor as he walked, he saw more carved stones and ruined stonework. He was getting closer for sure. After a small while he stepped out into an open area and felt how his jaw dropped.

A large open area had appeared before him. At the other end he saw a massive staircase leading up to a large building with a dome made of gold-like metal. On both sides of the main building he saw towers reach high into the skies, each of them with domes made from the same gold-like metal. Another large amount of towers were made even higher upon the mountain side, but most of them were ruined and seemed to have crumbled many years ago. The enormous set of stairs that lead to the main building were gilded with metal and seemed mostly intact.

Another large rumble caused the ground to tremble again, and with a deafening roar, one of the lower towers collapsed. Massive stones and debris fell down on the lower buildings and rocks, and splintered into pieces. Tarrion quickly shouted.

FEIM

Most of the pieces came to a standstill several meters away from him, but some now flew right through him. The huge metal dome slammed and warped on the rocks and the sound of metal on rock echoed through the area and the chasm behind Tarrion.

When everything had calmed down again, and the dust started to settle, Tarrion carefully walked toward the main staircase. It had been intact a few minutes ago, but now large parts of it lay broken and cracked. He kicked a few rocks away and climbed to the top of the stairs where he found two of the biggest doors he had ever seen.

At least six meters high and three metres wide, made from solid Dwarven Metal, these doors seemed impenetrable. Tarrion almost felt how they stood there taunting at him, as if they were made to tell any visitor to turn back, for they would never open.

Tarrion saw no handle, and by all indications, these doors indeed could not be opened from the outside. But Tarrion had a few tricks up his sleeve. He was exceptionally strong, and he grabbed the doors and pushed as hard as he could. The doors gave in only a little. He pulled with all his might. The doors stayed silent.

"Fine…. Have it your way." he panted and he took a few steps back.

FUS RO DAH

The shout had such power that the doors gave in and broke from their hinges. They slammed into the hall behind them and a deafening echo went through the entire area.

With a smirk Tarrion walked in the old ruins and saw how the hallway went down a little. Just like every Dwarven ruin he has ever been in, this one was also filled with broken rocks, dimly lit hallways, strange inscriptions on the walls and doors and an abandoned look.

Suddenly Tarrion felt a cold chill crawling down his spine, and in a reflex he drew his sword. A cold voice came from the hallway before him.

" _Turn back._ "

The voice was haunting, yet it didn't really sounded like a threat… only a warning. Tarrion had stopped moving as soon as the voice sounded, but now he started to walk forward again, but with his sword at the ready.

Again the voice echoed through the abandoned and empty hallways, but this time, it sounded almost desperate.

" _Please turn back…. Before it is too late."_

This time Tarrion did not stop, but only steeled himself. The voice sounded human to him, and yet not. It had unsettled him at first, yet now it felt different.

After a few turns and a staircase downward, Tarrion entered another massive area.

From where Tarrion stood, he could hardly see the other end, and rows of columns stood strong and held up a massive, yet broken ceiling. The stones that made up the ground were broken, and in the middle of the area there was a massive chasm. An abyss with a strong flowing river at the bottom. A few slight rumbles were heard, but nothing crumbled and nothing fell from the ceiling.

Yet.

Behind him Tarrion heard a deep sigh, and he quickly turned around, but he lowered his sword when he saw what, or rather 'who', was behind him.

At first he only saw a pale, blue mist. But after a few seconds it started to take form, and from the mist a woman stepped forth. It was difficult to tell how old she was, but Tarrion had a feeling she was in her early forties. He could tell that she was wearing a standard set of steel armour, yet without a helmet and she wielded a bow on her back. Her hair was not very long and it seemed she had a strong physique.

Tarrion saw that she was a ghost, and she illuminated the area around her with a blueish glow. Her entire body was almost transparent, yet he could see how her eyes looked at him. She frowned and sighed at him.

"What are you still doing here?" she asked him. "Oh, let me guess… you're here for the treasure, aren't you? Just like the others."

For a few moments Tarrion stood there looking at her, unable to speak. The last time he had met a ghost, he had to fight for his life because those ghosts kept attacking while yelling apologies and claiming they were forced to do it.

"What?" she asked him. "Are you just going to stand there staring?"

"Sorry…" Tarrion said. "It's not like I see a ghost every single day."

"I guess I can't blame you…."

Tarrion looked at her. "Who are you?"

"The name's Katria. I am…. 'was'… an adventurer, just like you it seems. I raided ruins like these for nigh on twenty years."

"Katria?" Tarrion asked. "Wait…. Weren't you that colleague to Taron Dreth… the one with that Aetherium theory?"

As soon as she heard that name, Katria's face changed so fast it was scary.

"His 'colleague'?" and she spat on the ground. "I was not his colleague… he was my apprentice! And he stole my life's work! All of it…. Years of hard work and dangerous research lost! Stolen by my own damn apprentice."

"You were? But in his book it says…"

"I KNOW WHAT THE DAMN BOOK SAYS!" Katria shouted. "But it was my theory! I did all the research, and then he steals all of it. Later I find out he wrote a book about it and I get a stupid dedication? A footnote? That little worm! He writes it like I am his 'friend'…. friend my ass! He is just mocking me."

She sighed and her face was still radiating anger. "At first I tried to find him and wring his arrogant little neck… but I knew I had no proof. I knew I needed to find the actual Forge to prove that it was my theory. Mine, not his! And that is how I ended up here. I finally found this city and I knew I was on the right path…. But I failed. And now my anger towards Taron and my will to prove that I did it all keeps me here."

She looked at Tarrion and her anger faded a bit. "So, please turn back. I died trying to reach the summit of this place, and it has claimed the lives of dozens of others. Turn back, or you will be the next victim.

Tarrion gave her a small smile. "I'd like to think I can take care of myself."

"So did I." Katria responded and she sighed. "I'm not going to talk you out of it am I? Well, if you want to reach the summit… you might need my help. You… want a hand?"

"If this place is as dangerous as you say, I think I am going to need all the help I can get."

"Alright then… lead on."

They proceeded through the massive hall, and Katria lead him to a massive, broken pipe that once served as some form of plumbing. It now lay broken and warped, with one end leaning on the edge of the chasm, and one end on a large stone pillar that stuck in the river below. On the pillar, Tarrion saw a body.

"Yes…. That's me." Katria answered his thoughts. "This is where I died… it was quite the fall."

The two balanced their way over the pipe to the pillar, and to Katria's body. Tarrion saw that she was indeed wearing steel armour, with plated gauntlets and boots. Her hair was long and brown, and her eyes were closed. Her leg was twisted and broken, and around her the pillar was blackened by her dried up blood.

"It feels like ages ago now… yet it wasn't that long ago."

"How long ago was it then?" Tarrion asked, but she shook her head.

"I don't know…. I keep losing track of time, but judging by the fact that my body hasn't decayed yet… I know it was more recently than it feels."

Tarrion took a last look at her body and then wanted to walk forward, to the next pipe that lead down to an underground corridor.

"Wait!" Katria said. "My journal… I wrote down my research in it.. we're going to need it. Could you… grab it for me?"

As Tarrion walked back, he saw no satchel. "Where did you put it?"

"I, ehh…. I don't remember exactly." she answered, and she immediately stepped between him and herself. "Don't search everywhere, alright! I didn't shove it between my breasts or legs so don't search there. Treat me with a little dignity."

Tarrion laughed before he could stop himself. "What do you take me for? Fondling a dead woman's body isn't exactly my hobby."

* * *

 _Serana started laughing. "And now look at you! You say it's not your hobby, but a few years later… here you are in bed with a Vampire."_

 _Tarrion felt himself blushing. "Hey… you are not dead… just a bit…. Eh."_

" _I'm a bit what?"_

" _Moving on!"_

* * *

Tarrion found a small tattered journal underneath Katria's body. It was tattered and smudged, but still legible.

They continued through the remains of the Dwemer ruins. They found several doors that only opened after striking a strange piece of machinery. Katria explained that the Dwarves called them 'Kinetic Resonators'.

"Just hit them and they'll…. Do whatever it is they're supposed to do."

It wasn't before too long that they also encountered the current residents of the ruins. Falmer. The blind creatures roamed the corridors and halls, yet not in great numbers. Only small groups of four or five, and Tarrion made quick work of them. Katria could not help with the fighting, but she was able to distract them by appearing somewhere else and drawing their attention.

"Hey… I'm a ghost. I'm not exactly corporeal enough to touch anything."

"Really?" Tarrion asked. "Strange… the last time I met ghosts they attacked me, and they were very corporeal."

Katria nodded. "A curse does that. I am not affected by any curse… only the curse of my own obsession."

Distracting the Falmer, and leading Tarrion further through the dungeon, Katria started explaining what happened to her, and about the city through which they now walked.

"Impressive isn't it. This place. Best preserved Dwarven city I had ever seen… until the earthquake hit. It reduced this strong city to the ruin it is today, and now you'll be lucky to find even a single room intact."

"So you know this place well?" Tarrion asked. "I mean… you must have explored this place."

"I have." Katria answered with a sigh. "Being dead gives you a lot of time and little risk. So yea… I looked around so much I can walk here with my eyes closed. I know enough of the dangers here, like massive earthquakes, deep chasms, unstable grounds, deadly rapids, lethal falls…. And then I'm not even talking about the real danger, but we'll discuss that when the time comes…. If it comes."

After climbing away from the ruined corridors and hallways, they found themselves above the lower levels and even here, there was little that was still intact. The rocky pathways were littered with loose stones and everywhere they looked the walls seemed like they were about to crumble. They even arrived at a massive hole in the ground with the remains of a few trees standing around it, and one hung over the edge.

"HEY! There is my bow! Out there on the log!"

Tarrion saw Katria pointing at the remains of the tree that now reached over the massive hole in the ground and the massive drop below. He indeed saw something glimmer and after he got a bit closer he indeed saw a bow made from Dwarven Metal.

"I had always wondered what happened to it. I mean… I have it on my back here, but it wasn't anywhere near my body."

Tarrion saw how the log looked unstable, but he also knew he would be able to use a Shout in case he fell.

"Wait… what are you doing?"

Katria gasped for breath when she saw Tarrion climb on the fallen tree and slowly make his way to her bow.

"Be careful…. Don't die on my account."

With a quick and agile hand, Tarrion managed to free Katria's bow from the branches and safely made it back to solid ground… or as solid as it could be in this place.

"Take good care of it for me." Tarrion heard Katria say, and for the first time, her voice sounded grateful. He saw how she smiled at him, and he nodded back, before wrapping the bow around his chest.

After a few more caverns the two arrived at an area that was even larger than the main hall where Tarrion had met Katria. The ceiling had a huge crack and through it the light of the sun illuminated the entire hall. Tarrion saw plants and even a few trees grow, but amongst the foliage, he also saw man skeletons and half decayed bodies. Some of them were impaled by massive ballista bolts, and at the end of the area, there stood a massive construction made out of stone and metal. Dwarven runes covered the with steel reinforced gates, and ballista after ballista was aimed at the exact place where Tarrion now stood. In the middle of the construction he saw five more of those 'kinetic resonators' he had seen earlier, three next to each other and two more above them.

"Stop." Katria said and she appeared right in front of him. "I mentioned that there was another danger in this place, remember? Well… here it is. Do you know what this is? It is a lock. A Tonal Lock."

"A what?"

"See it as a vault. An incredibly well protected one at that. See those resonators up there. You have to activate them in the right order. Get it wrong and…. Well, you'll end up like me."

Tarrion looked at the massive construction. It stood there intimidating and his eyes widened.

"You mean the earthquake? You're telling me this thing can cause an earthquake?"

"Yes, and that is just one trap. Look around… who knows what else this thing is capable of. We just need to stay calm and try to figure out the correct order. I already made start. In my journal I wrote down a few things…. As for the rest, well, maybe one of our predecessors has a clue."

Tarrion was not happy about this at all. He was able to take down dragons, and all manner of enemies… but a machine that can cause an earthquake at the slightest mistake?

Thank the gods, the clues he found in Katria's journal, plus a few clues from the dead that lay around him, made him confident he was able to uncover the right order. He tried it, and every time he hit the correct resonator, he felt his heart skip a beat, and Katria seemed more exited. The bottom left one…. The bottom right one…. The upper left one…. The upper right one…. And finally the bottom central one.

After every hit the ground shook and a sound like a gong echoed through the ruins, and after he hit the final resonator, a valve opened… steam was released, a rumble echoed through the hall and the three layered doors opened.

"…you did it…" Katria said and her eyes widened in disbelief. "You did it! Come on! Let's find out what is behind those gates."

Tarrion ran after her, and he could see her excitement and he felt the same. He forgot about the possibility of even more danger and followed Katria through the gates and down a small corridor into a small room. There he saw no chests, or weaponry. Only a small table with a small pedestal on it. On the pedestal he saw something shine, but as he walked closer he could not tell what it was.

It seemed to be made from glass, yet it did not look like glass. It was no metal, and it was blue and almost transparent. It had the shape of a crescent, with a part of a crest or emblem in the middle. Tarrion had never seen anything like it, but it almost seemed to glow.

"What is this?" he asked himself, more to himself than to Katria.

"Let me see that." Katria said and she tried to grab it from his hands, but her hands went right through it. "Dammit… I almost forgot."

Tarrion held it up so Katria could take a good look at it. Her bright, luminescent eyes stared at the object in front of her.

"So… it is real…"

"What is?" Tarrion asked. "What is this?"

"Look here," she answered and she pointed at the edge of the central crest. "This here has been cut… precisely cut. If you would have another piece, about the same size it… it would snap right in! I remember a drawing of this… it is part of a key! A key made out of pure Aetherium."

Katria let out a long sigh, like she could hardly believe it. "The key to the Forge."

"And this is a part of it?"

"Yes… there were four cities that worked on the Forge. Arkngthamz, this place, was in charge of the research and study of Aetherium. Then there was a smaller site… what was it?... Bthar-Zel? Yes. And two other places, but I had a lead on all three of them. My journal has the locations I thought had anything to do with the Forge."

Despite that she was a ghost, Katria was beyond exited and she spoke rapid. Tarrion could even see the excitement in her transparent eyes, and she had started pacing around the small room.

"I drew a map in my journal… with the locations… that is where we should start." and suddenly she started laughing. "For the first time in a long while, I think I might….. sorry.. 'we' might actually be able to do this."

She stopped walking and looked at Tarrion and her face radiated hope. "Thank you… Thank you for helping me with this."

Tarrion smiled back. "My pleasure… I am an adventurer for a reason, so I am glad to help. But what is next?"

"Hmmm… we should first go to Bthar-Zel. I am fairly sure that is one of the places that also worked on the Forge, and it is also the closest. It lies just a bit north of Bthardamz."

"Alright then…. Shall we go?"

Katria nodded. "I'll meet you there. I can't really travel in the open…. I'll see you there."

Tarrion nodded to her and she disappeared with a smile, leaving Tarrion alone in the dungeon.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

And there is the first part of the quest 'Lost to the Ages'. Personally it is one of my favourite quests. I hope you liked reading it, and I'll do my best to wrap up this arc ASAP.

Also; i know Katria can fight in the game since she is still corporeal, but i thought it would be fun to give it a small twist. Normal ghosts are not corporeal, cursed ones are. Katria is not under the effect of any curse, so she cannot touch or be touched.

 _Dragon Language Used:_

 **Feim:** _Fade (Become Ethereal Shout)_

 **Fus Ro Dah:** _Force Balance Push (Unrelenting Force Shout)_


	34. Forging the Past 5

**Forging the Past part 5**

Tarrion walked from the bed to a nearby cupboard. He grabbed two goblets and a jug of wine and placed them on a table nearby. He poured wine into both of them, yet filled only one. He then summoned a Bound Dagger and made a small cut in his wrist and let a small amount of blood fill the other goblet. Serana had found out she liked the combination of wine and blood. It still gave her the nourishment she needed, and yet made it seem so ordinary as a normal drink of wine. She took the goblet from Tarrion and took a sip.

"So..." she licked her lips. "You found Katria's ghost in Arkngthamz and the two of you found a strange 'key' there. What happened after that?"

Tarrion placed the goblet at his lips and took a small sip from the wine. "A wild goose-chase is what happened. Although, maybe not really. But we did have to travel throughout Skyrim in search of the right places. But, I must say, Katria had done her research. All that was left for us to do was put the final pieces of the puzzle together, and reach the locations that seemed to have any connection to the Forge."

He took another sip and looked through the high windows of his quarters.

* * *

 _Our first stop was at Deep Folk Crossing, near Bthardamz. It is a small ruin that was once called Bthar-Zel. Katria did not know what the true purpose of that place really was during the time the Dwarves studied Aetherium, though she seemed to believe it was some form of archive. Or maybe it was just a place where meetings were held. Who knows? That was actually the easiest piece to find._

* * *

The sun had begun to set when Tarrion finally reached the north-western end of the Reach. To the south, he could see the sun reflecting on the metallic domes of Bthardamz, but he knew he did not need to go there. He knew he had to reach the river and follow it upstream, just like Katria's journal explained. It seemed she wasn't sure what the purpose of this place had been, but she was sure there was a connection to the Forge.

Tarrion followed the sound of flowing water and reached the fast-flowing river quickly. He proceeded to follow it upstream and after a few climbs and tough corners he saw large shadows of ancient ruins. As he neared them he saw a large bridge spanning over the river. The water flowed fast and strong here and Tarrion climbed up the ruins and walked over the stone bridge.

He arrived in an area that was largely untouched, and apart from a few crumbled towers and remains of buildings, there seemed to be no real activity here. As if no one had set foot here in several thousand years. There even was no sight of trees, and the only life to be found here was the grass.

He walked around in the desolation, and saw ruins of a large chamber. The roof had collapsed and the walls had crumbled. At first he saw nothing there, but in the growing darkness he noticed how a small part of the last remains of a wall seemed to be illuminated by something, and as he neared it he was sure. There was something there.

He climbed over the rubble and saw a small pedestal and a familiar blue object lay on it. Tarrion took it from the pedestal, half expecting an alarm to go off and a number of traps to suddenly spring, but all remained quiet. The object had the same shape as the one he was carrying in a small satchel around his waist. A crescent with a piece of a crest in the middle, made out of a blue, almost illuminating crystal, yet also a bit transparent.

"Hmm.. beat me to it this time."

Tarrion almost dropped the key-shard in fright.

"Would you not sneak up upon me like that?" he asked Katria who had appeared behind him.

"Sorry." she answered. "I didn't mean to. But I see you found another one."

"Yes… it seemed you were right about this place."

"It seemed so." Katria remarked and she seemed to be surprised by it. "I knew it was a bit of a stretch, but I found a few notes that were legible that made references to this place. I wrote it down, to later forget about it. But when I found out that there were four cities that worked on the Forge, this one was among the most likely."

Tarrion nodded, and put the Aetherium shard in the satchel. "So what do you think this place originally was?"

Katria looked at him in surprise and had one eyebrow raised. "Are you really interested?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't." Tarrion shrugged.

"Ha… I guess not." Katria laughed. "But what was this place? I don't really know. I think, I'm not sure, this place had a part in the research done in Arkngthamz, or maybe it was a library of some kind… or maybe it was a meeting place, an office of some kind where the leaders of each of the four cities would come together to discuss what they have found. But I don't know… it seems too small for a library, and yet also too small for a research base or an office, but who knows what kind of ruins and hidden tunnels may be hidden below us."

"So this place could have been one of those things… all of them or none of them?"

"Exactly."

After they left Deep Folk Crossing, Katria explained where they had to go next. Tarrion had opened Katria's journal and they looked at the map she had used for her research. They saw a small number drawn on the mountains to the south-west of Windhelm.

"I think that might also be a place that is connected to the Forge. I forgot the name though."

Tarrion nodded. "Yes… I know it… Raldar? Raldtar?"

"Raldbthar!" Katria snapped her fingers. "Yes that was it. That should be our next stop. I'll see you there."

* * *

" _So now you had to go from the one end of Skyrim to the other end?"_

 _Tarrion sighed. "Yes… and that was not the first time… never mind it being the last. But I have had journeys that were much longer."_

" _Really?"_

" _After I refused your father's offer, I had to walk back to the Dawnguard," Tarrion summed up. "then, when we looked for your mother, we went from the Dawnguard to Volkihar Castle and then back, and after that, we went to the forgotten Vale, ánd back, and then again to Castle Volkihar…. And that was just the adventures I had with you."_

" _Oh, you poor thing." Serana said jokingly. "I can only imagine the pain your feet must have felt."_

" _I'm a Nord." Tarrion said and he pulled a strong face. "I don't feel pain."_

" _Save your boasting for the Companions." Serana laughed. "You can boast to Vilkas and Farkas about your adventures…. But for now… what happened then?"_

" _Well… I'll spare you the long and tiresome journey to Raldbthar, and the long dungeon I had to fight my way through, but after I defeated another large Dwemer Centurion, I entered a room that was perfectly square. There I met Katria again."_

* * *

Tarrion walked into a large room that was perfectly square. Parts of the ceiling had caved in and one pillar had crumbled. In the middle of the room, still free from rubble, Tarrion saw a familiar device. A large, square stone with around device on it with a circular socket. Around the stone, he saw other tiles that were made in a peculiar fashion, and Tarrion recognized it as a hidden Dwemer staircase. A special Attunement Sphere was needed to operated it, but Tarrion did not have one with him at this time.

"Ah… there you are." he heard a voice, and a few metres in front of him Katria appeared. "That was quite the trip. Let's hope we weren't wrong."

She lead the way to a smaller room next to the room they were currently in.

"I think it's here…. Yes!"

Tarrion followed her into the room and indeed saw another pedestal with the next part of the Key to the Forge on it.

"Go ahead…." Katria said. "You should do the honours. After everything you've done….. plus I can't really pick up anything, so.."

"It's alright. I'll get it."

After Tarrion had picked the shard up and put it in the satchel along with the other two he saw Katria sigh.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's just…. I can't believe we're actually getting this close."

Katria seemed to smile and cry at the same time, and Tarrion thought he saw a small, ghostly tear well up in her eye. "In my entire life I haven't even seen even a sliver of Aetherium, and now we hold three pieces of pure Aetherium."

She looked at Tarrion with both pride and thanks, and he gave her a gentle smile.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes… yes." she said quickly and she wiped a tear from her face. "Sorry… So that is our third, we only have on left to go."

Together they left the room and walked toward the exit.

"So what do you think this place was?" Tarrion asked.

"Hmm…" Katria looked around. "If I had to guess, I would say this was their primary source of Aetherium. It definitely had deeper mines than most of the Dwarven cities in Skyrim, but I thought they had to be even deeper than this."

"They are." Tarrion remarked and he pointed at the large stone with the round device with its circular slot. "That is a staircase. You need a specific Attunement Sphere for it to work, but it will lead you even deeper."

"Really?!" Katria almost shouted and she ran to the stone slab. "Do you have that Sphere on you? Can we take a look at what is down there? Where does it lead? Have you been there? What is it like there?"

"Wow… slow down." Tarrion laughed. "I think it leads to Blackreach. Ever heard of it?"

Katria scratched her head while trying to think. "Yes…. I have heard rumours and read footnotes… but nothing more. I thought it was a myth."

"Well… it's not. It is a massive underground city, and incredibly well preserved. There are giant, mushroom-like plants there that glow and illuminate the entire area, and large crystals that also glow. In the middle of the city hangs a giant…. Orb…. That, I think, represents the sun. It glows with an orange glow and gives light to the city. It is also overrun with Falmer."

Katria looked at him with widened eyes. "That sounds like a wonder…. Except for the Falmer. Ohh, I would love to see it."

"I'm sorry…" Tarrion said. "I don't have that sphere with me right now."

Katria nodded in disappointment. "That is a shame…. It really is. But maybe we can find our own discovery. We just need one more piece."

"Yes, indeed." Tarrion agreed and he opened the journal again.

"It seems we will find the last piece here." Katria explained and she pointed at the eastern mountains of Skyrim. "The ruins of Mzulft. If I have read it correctly, it has a large storage area where they stored all kinds of supplies, food, armour, weapons…. And hopefully, Aetheruim."

* * *

 _Serana had finished her wine and now licked her lips. Tarrion had hardly touched his wine since he was telling the story._

" _And so we went from the one Dwarven ruin to the other. I did ask her for a break though. I was tired and really needed the rest. So I stayed the night in Kynesgrove. After a staying there for almost an entire day and night, I headed for Mzulft, a large Dwemer Ruin in the eastern mountains. It was the same place I had to go when I was looking for clues for the Staff of Magnus. Thank goodness I didn't need to walk through the entire dungeon again."_

" _How so?"_

" _There was a storage building close to the main city. That is where we needed to go."_

* * *

He pushed the heavy doors open and descended down a large staircase. The air inside was heavy and damp, and there was no light. He cast a Candlelight spell and saw how the hall was illuminated by the light of it.

"Ah, there you are." Katria said and her head popped out of a large gate. "I already found it."

She walked out of the metal gate and explained that the last part of the key lay behind the large steel doors.

"I can walk through it, but that won't help us. I can't grab it anyway."

Tarrion quickly picked the lock and saw another small pedestal with a bluish crystal on it. He placed it in his satchel and walked back to Katria.

"That was pretty easy, wasn't it?" she said.

"For you maybe. I had to walk all the way here."

Katria gave him a smile. "I know… and I'm afraid there is one last long walk for you left. We have all the pieces, but we still need to find the Forge itself. But I had a lead on that too, and I still remember it. Meet me at the ruins south of Ivarstead. The ruins of Bthalft. The Forge has to be there."

After several days of endless walking, Tarrion had finally reached Ivarstead, and after he stayed the night at the inn, he continued his journey south. He knew there was a small imperial camp nearby, but he wasn't looking for them. He tried to spot anything that would look like Dwarven ruins.

It didn't take him that long to find it. While he walked the road, suddenly several bandits came running, they had no weapons on them and one of them kept screaming.

"GHOSTS! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

They ignored Tarrion completely and ran as fast as their legs could carry them. Tarrion simply smiled and walked into the direction from which the bandits came.

A few small stone pillars were all that was left of the original buildings the Dwemer had made here. Near the centre of the ruins Tarrion saw Katria standing, near a small pedestal with a metal sundial on top of it.

"Ah, you made it!" she said and she was ecstatic. "Come here… look at this device here."

Tarrion joined her and saw what she was looking at.

The area had the unmistakable look of Dwemer ruins, but in the middle a large round stone there was a small, metal pedestal with a sundial on top of it. Right underneath that, in the middle of the pedestal the two saw a perfectly round gear.

"See this device? The gear in the centre is just about the same size as the shards we collected. I trust you still have them with you?"

Tarrion held up the small satchel and Katria heard the shards clink against each other. "Right here. I take it you think we should try to put the shards in the device?"

"That would be my guess, yes."

Tarrion grabbed one of the shards and placed it in the gear and moved it around until he heard a slight click, and the gear dropped half an inch and was able to move. Placing one shard after the other, and moving the gear after each, Tarrion could see Katria's eyes widen with every shard he placed. He could see the excitement on her face and he could not deny he felt the same. They were on the brink of discovering one of the greatest Dwemer findings in history, and despite that Tarrion wasn't much of an historian, he could feel the significance of their finds.

After he placed the last gear and turned it, a deep rumble echoed from underneath them. The sundial turned around once and the ground had started shaking a little, but it had stopped as quick as it started.

"Hmmm," Katria scratched her head. "Try… taking it out?"

Tarrion took the gear with the shards from the pedestal and immediately the ground started shaking. A deep rumble echoed through the ground and it felt like they started an earthquake. Below them, the large round stone which they stood upon, felt like it had come loose.

"What the-…. Get back! Hurry!" Katria yelled.

They both ran of the large stone slab, and not a second later it rose from the ground.

Tarrion looked up and saw how a massive tower, almost thirty metres high, rose from the place where they stood a few seconds ago. Advanced Dwemer architecture and technology made the gears and mechanisms that were made thousands of years ago still work like new and when the tower finally stood still, it loomed over the lands of the Rift. High, mighty and intimidating. In front of the two explorers there was a large opening in the tower, and Tarrion saw the gears and lever of a lift.

"It's true! It is all true!" Katria shouted ecstatic. "Come on! Let's check it out."

She ran to the entrance and could hardly wait for Tarrion to pull the lever. He saw how she could not stand still and how she almost wanted to push him away and pull the lever herself. Tarrion pulled the lever, a stone door closed and the lift descended down into the darkness below.

After a while the lift finally stopped.

"That took longer than usual." Katria remarked and Tarrion agreed. "How deep are we?"

Tarrion could not see anything, and thus he cast a Candlelight spell and saw broken ruins around him. A metallic door hung warped in its hinges and a broken stone path lead further down the deepest caverns Tarrion had ever seen. The two followed the path away from the lift and quickly saw broken staircases. But on those staircases they saw skeletons. Small skeletons, and if Tarrion didn't know any better he thought they were the bones of children, but he knew they had to be Dwemer.

"What happened here?" he asked himself.

"The Aetherium Wars." Katria answered. "You read the book, right? After they Dwarves made the first real weapons out of Aetherium they all wanted the Forge for themselves. Weapons of such power would be able to withstand any army they thought, and so they fought each other. They all fought over the control of the Forge."

"This is no Forge." Tarrion said as they walked past more skeletons. "This is a tomb."

They continued past the dead and over the broken pathway and walked through a massive hall. Tarrion's Candlelight spell was not able to illuminate the entire area and they knew it had to be a massive place.

The path went up and they saw how massive staircases lead past buildings and the heard the rushing of water below them. At the top of the staircase they saw a few lights. The same lights that could be found in many of the Dwemer ruins and they saw a large metal gate blocking the path further down.

"There!" Katria said and she pointed upward. "I see two resonators. I guess you'll have to activate them before the gate opens."

There seemed to be no specific order to them, or Tarrion just got lucky, because he fired two Firebolts at them and the gate opened.

"What do you make of this place?" he asked her as they walked through the gates.

"I'm not sure." Katria answered hesitantly. "It feels old, doesn't it. Even by Dwarven standards. This place is very well preserved though, and yet it has to have been at least four thousand years since anyone set foot here. This 'has' to be the place. It just has to be."

As the two descended further down, Tarrion could feel the air getting warmer, and he started to feel sweat dripping on his brow.

"The air here is getting warmer." he said as they neared two more gates. Tarrion pushed them open, and Katria gasped loud.

In front of them a massive hall appeared, and Tarrion also saw why it was getting warmer. A massive lake of lava boiled at the far end of the hall , and in front of them he saw metal work, large pipes and masonry all surrounding a large, strange device.

"Is that… the Forge?"

Katria had already walked ahead and neared the central construction. Tarrion followed her but as he ascended the few steps to the device, he felt something tug his leg. He quickly looked down and saw a broken wire.

Immediately a loud alarm rung and several gates and pipes opened, and large, metallic spiders leaped from them.

"Katria!" Tarrion shouted and he immediately charged a spell.

Over a dozen Dwemer spiders charged at the two adventurers, but since Katria was a ghost and could not be harmed, she was in no danger. The downside to it was that she also could not help fight the automatons, and could only distract them. But that was enough for Tarrion who preferred to incinerate his metallic enemies, rather than blunting his blade on them. After a short while the ground was littered with pieces of the spiders, and soon after, also Dwarven Spheres, as they now poured from the gates as well, yet in fewer numbers. Tarrion fired spell after spell, incinerating and melting them as they attacked him, and he made quick work of them. After the final Sphere was defeated he sighed.

"Thanks for warning me about that alarm." he said sarcasticly.

"Hey, I can't really feel what is going through me." Katria defended herself. "I can walk through a door and not feel a thing, so that little tripwire…. Nothing."

"I know… well at least we-.."

But a massive rumble echoed from behind them. The two turned around and Katria saw the most terrifying thing she had ever seen, in both her life and death.

A massive metal hand had appeared from the lake of lava, and it now grabbed the stone edge of the lake. Then the rest of the arm rose from lava and with it the head of the largest Dwarven Centurion ever made. Its head was like a mask, and it represented a fearsome Dwemer. Its other hand held a massive hammer, and just like the monstrous construction itself, it was made out of solid metal. When it finally stood on the edge of the lake, it was glowing hot and lava and molten stone leaked from its arms and legs. It was over seven metres tall and Tarrion could hear Katria gasp in horror.

"Oh Gods…."

Without warning The Forgemaster, for this is what the Dwemer had called it, opened its metallic mouth and a stream of fire that rivalled the breath of dragons, poured from it. Tarrion barely had time to Shout, and make himself invulnerable.

FEIM

The fire passed through him and he felt nothing, yet he knew it was only just in time. He quickly ran to seek cover behind a pillar and even Katria, who was a ghost, forgot about it, and ran for cover.

The Forgemaster was the largest, toughest and strongest Dwarven Automaton Tarrion ever had to face, and within minutes the entire area was scorched and blackened from the fire-breath that both the Forgemaster and Tarrion used against each other. But Tarrion quickly saw that it was of no use. This monstrosity had survived while bathed in lava, so a bit of fire would not hurt it, and Tarrion tried something else and he Shouted.

FO KRAH DIIN

The Forgemaster was stunned for a few seconds, and a part of it now seemed more brittle than before, but this quickly changed back and with another fire-breath it almost destroyed the pillar Tarrion used for cover. But both the cold and the pillar had given Tarrion an idea. He shouted at Katria.

"DRAW HIM TOWARD YOU!"

"WHAT?" she shouted back.

"DRAW HIMT TO THE LEFT! I HAVE AN IDEA!"

Katria clearly thought he was crazy, but she did it anyway and she started yelling and hollering at the Centurion. And she drew his attention, and it now slowly walked toward her. Tarrion waited…. A bit more…. A bit more to the left…. NOW.

He jumped from behind the pillar and shouted with all his might at the Automaton's legs.

FO KRAH DIIN

The Forgemaster was stopped in its tracks and was unable to move for a while and Tarrion jumped backwards and shouted again, but this time at the pillar he had used for cover.

FUS RO DAH

With a deafening roar the pillar broke and shattered and fell toward the Centurion. The massive stones and rocks that held up the ceiling now landed on the Forgemaster and crushed it. A few stones rolled further away and landed in the lake of lava and after that there was only the sound of steam being released.

"BY THE GODS!" Katria shouted.

"You can say that again." Tarrion answered and he walked toward the remains of the Centurion. "That was one tough piece of metal."

"Not that!" Katria shouted, but now looking at him with her eyes wide open. "You are Dragonborn?"

Tarrion smiled and nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Why didn't you mention that?"

"We were focused on finding Dwemer ruins."

Katria opened her mouth and closed it again. "You're lucky I can't, because otherwise I would have punched you in your face right now."

"Another time maybe, but for now… I think you were right. I think this is indeed the Forge as you said."

"Eh.. yes. Yes!" and Katria seemed to pull herself together. "We did it! We actually did it! There is just one last thing we need to do. To prove that this really is the Forge."

"How?"

"By forging something of course." and she looked at him. "You should do it. After everything you've done…. You should have the honour."

* * *

" _What did you forge?" Serana asked with bated breath._

" _Well..." Tarrion scratched his chin. "That turned out to be more difficult than we originally thought. We searched for Aetherium, but there was nothing to be found, until we realized that we had some in my satchel."_

" _The crests?"_

 _Tarrion nodded. "Yes…. That was the only Aetherium we could find. But it was the first time I had ever tried to forge anything with this material, so we also had to search for instructions on how to use it. Eventually we found three schematics and diagrams. There were possibly more but either the ages had turned them to dust, or the fight had destroyed them. We found the instructions on how to make one of three items. A staff… a shield… and a crown."_

" _Which one did you make?" Serana asked and she looked at Tarrion in anticipation._

" _I decided to make the Crown. I hardly ever use staves when casting spells and shields are easy to make or buy. But this crown looked highly unique, and so I used the forge to make the Crown."_

* * *

Tarrion held the crown up as he pulled it out of the water. He had filled a small metal bucked with ice and it had melted quickly. The crown still sizzled and steam came from it but it had cooled down. Katria stood next to him as he placed it on a stone table and she looked at it with both fascination and tears in her eyes.

"That crown…. It's beautiful. It is… everything I could have hoped for."

She looked at Tarrion as he had put the tongs away and before he could stop her, she walked in him.

"Katria… what are you-.."

"Thank you." she said and she took a small step backwards. Ghostly tears now rolled over her cheeks, but they were tears of joy. "I wish I could hug you… kiss you for helping me complete my life's work. Thanks to you, I finally fulfilled my dream… what I set out to do…. My life's work is complete, at last."

And Tarrion understood what was about to happen. The one thing that had bound her to this world was her desire to complete her work, and she had finished it. She was leaving. She was passing on.

"Thank you, Katria…. For all of it." Tarrion smiled at her, and he felt his throat locked. To see someone he could call 'friend' pass on like this was something he had not felt before. Her voice had almost become a whisper, and she struggled to keep her tears back.

"I have finally done what I set out to do. But you… take that out to the world… and if anyone asks, tell them what we have discovered… together."

Then Tarrion saw how Katria started to fade away, in the same blue mist from which she had stepped forth when Tarrion first saw her. Her legs first disappeared, and soon her arms faded too.

"And now… I think I can finally rest. Thank you, my friend…. Thank you, and farewell… wherever your travels may take you."

And with those words she vanished in front of his eyes. His hand made a slight gesture forward, almost trying to prevent her from leaving, but she was gone before he could act on the urge. And Tarrion was left alone in the ruins of the Aetherium Forge. Motionless pieces of the Automatons lay scattered everywhere and the ground was cracked on numerous places. The lake of lava boiled in the back, and it took him a while before he regained his senses and walked toward the exit.

* * *

Tarrion had stopped talking, but Serana still looked at him like the story wasn't over yet. But Tarrion took a deep sigh and looked up at the ceiling.

"That was not the last time I saw her though. I met her again in Sovngarde…. After I died."

"You did?"

"Mhm…" he nodded. "But not for very long. She only explained that I was indeed dead, and she helped me recollect my memories. When Tsun said I had to go back to where I woke up, she wanted to go with me, but Tsun forbade her. That was the last time I saw her. But I also buried her. I couldn't just leave her body in the ruins of a Dwarven city, and I dug a grave in the Reach for her."

Serana sighed deeply and looked at Tarrion in a new way, like he had weathered a bit before her eyes.

"I think she would have liked it." she said. "I think she would be grateful you did that for her."

Tarrion made a slight chuckle. "I think she would also like what I did to her apprentice, Taron Dreth."

"What did you do to him?"

"He is rotting in Cidna Mine. For attacking a Thane." Tarrion smiled. "I met him in Markarth, and when he saw the Crown he recognized the material I had he asked me where I got it. When I asked him who he was he told me his name, and it became clear to him that I knew Katria, and after he said that I 'knew too much' he attacked me."

He laughed. "A fool. Before I could blink several guardsmen grabbed him and took him to Cidna Mine. Haven't heard of him since."

Serana smiled too. "It seems he got a well-deserved sentence. But where do you have that Crown you made? I'd love to see it."

"Actually, I have the Crown here." Tarrion said, and he stepped off the bed and walked toward a seemingly normal pillar that supported the arced ceiling. "I considered burying it with Katria's body, but I realized she wouldn't want that. She wanted me to 'take it out into the world' and not hide it in the ground. So I brought it here to study it."

He had pressed a small, hardly visible button on the pillar and a hidden compartment opened. Then Serana saw one of the most beautiful crowns she had ever seen, and since she was raised as royalty, that says a lot.

It was beautifully crafted from gold, with seven blue jewels in it. Three larger ones in the centre, and two smaller ones on either side. The gold seemed to shine by itself, like it was glowing. The blue jewels were clearly not sapphires, but something far more beautiful and more transparent. They were held in place by small, golden bars that encircled them. They also seemed to glow by themselves and Serana could almost feel a power coming from them and they seemed to burn with an inner fire.

When Tarrion gave her the crown she could see her own glowing eyes reflecting in the jewels and the gold, and her hands were trembling.

"It….. it is beautiful." she stammered and she felt it was an understatement.

Then Tarrion took it from her hands and placed the crown on her head. She felt strangely invigorated when the metal touched her head. It felt incredibly light, lighter than even a cloth hood, and she smiled at Tarrion who smiled back.  
"Now.. it is beautiful. It is only as beautiful as the head it adorns." he said and Serana felt herself blush. "You truly look like royalty to me."

"Do I?" she asked and she stood up in front of him and gave him a slightly seductive grin. "Do I look like a queen?"

"Much better…" Tarrion answered and he placed one hand gently on her back and with the other he pulled her head close. "You look like my queen."

=End of Chapter=

=End of Arc=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

And that is the final chapter of this arc. I do hope you liked it as much as I liked writing it. I will take another small break now, as the new Arc comes with a few challenges and I want to do it right of course.

I know I said that one of the Arcs would be 'A New Leader', dealing with the Greybeards losing a member and Tarrion finding a suitable successor. This idea is off the table….. for now. Maybe later, but for now I cannot find a good story line that I like enough. Instead of that we will have a different story arc for the next one:

 **Blood Runs Deep:** This arc will deal with a huge source of frustration that everyone will know. The source of so much anger and annoyance and fights…. Yet I am sure that nobody would want to live without it. It will deal with: Family.

That is all I will say about the following Arc. So for now I would like to ask all who still read this, to stay tuned and most of all stay patient.

I might also focus a bit more on two of my other stories that i am working on, so this break might be a bit longer than usual.

MegaGothmog out.

 **Dragon Language Used:**

 _Feim: Fade (Become Ethereal Shout)_

 _Fo Krah Diin: Frost Cold Freeze (Frost Breath Shout)_

 _Fus Ro Dah: Force Balance Push (Unrelenting Force Shout)_


	35. Blood Runs Deep 1

**Blood Runs Deep Part 1**

When Serana woke up it was nearing mid-day. The sun was nearing its highest point and its rays fell through the curtains and bathed the room in a warm, golden light. She first mumbled a few things and rolled to the other side of the bed, and realized she was alone. A slight breeze came through the windows and she heard the sound of joyous laughter and she recognized the voices.

She sat up straight and saw that it was late. She had half a mind to stay in bed and wait for Tarrion to show, but she decided to get up and go downstairs. After she had donned a simple set of clothing she entered the kitchen and saw Rayya explaining her cooking.

"You see?" she said. "In Hammerfell we can sometimes bake this on stones in the middle of the day, but without fire. We simply lay it on the stones, the sun warms them up and we only have to wait. And make sure we don't get sand in our food."

Her little apprentice laughed and as soon as Serana entered the room, she turned around.

"Mommy!" she shouted and she ran toward her mother and Serana picked the little girl in her arms and kissed her on her cheek. "Are you alright? Daddy said you were really tired and we should let you sleep."

"He did?" Serana asked. "How thoughtful of him. But yes, mommy was a bit tired."

"Mhm." Rayya nodded under her turban. "And I could hear the reason why."

Serana blushed and coughed. "Oh, you did?... Ahem… sorry."

"What did you and daddy do?" the little girl asked.

"We eh… talked."

"It wasn't a very articulate conversation." Rayya mumbled so softly only Serana could hear her.

"Yes… well…" and Serana put the little girl down. "Run along now, Thalia. Have you fed Skjor yet?"

"No, not yet… but I will do that now."

The little girl ran away and Serana came standing next to Rayya.

"Sorry about last night, Rayya. It was the last day of spring…. He gets very, eh…"

"Yes… I have noticed, and there is no need to apologize." she waved it away. "It's nothing I haven't heard before…. I would only ask if you could try to keep it down." and she gave Serana a slight wink.

After Serana helped Rayya with cooking, she left to the large garden behind the house where she heard more laughter. As she stepped through the doors she saw how Tarrion had his hand above his head and made large stomping steps while roaring.

"You dare take on the mighty dragon? Come and face me!"

From behind a young tree two young kids appeared, both with a blunt, wooden sword in hand and a wooden shield.

One was a young boy, with raven black hair and deep eyes, just like his father and he was dressed in a blue tunic with brown leather boots. His sister was of the same height, also with pitch black hair, but her eyes differed from her brother's and she was also dressed in blue and brown.

With young yells they ran at their father who started shouting as if he was hurt. In truth they hardly hit him, but he fell to the ground. He grabbed their swords and hugged them both while all three laughed.

"Wuaaaahhhh!" Tarrion shouted with a smile. "I just ate you for lunch. I win!" and he munched on their ears.

From around the corner Thalia came running with a large wolf behind her. As soon as the wolf saw Tarrion it barked loud and jumped on his master and started licking his face.

No matter how many times Skjor had played with the children without anything happening, Serana still felt a small surge of discomfort when she saw the big wolf so close to them, always afraid that something might happen.

"Skjor…. Skjor! Stop that…Down boy.." Tarrion laughed and he pushed the wolf away.

Serana looked at all five of them and she felt completely happy. Tarrion had not changed a bit in the years that had passed, except a few of his hairs had started to turn grey. It was quite quick for his hair to turn grey, since he wasn't that old, but Serana thought it suited him. 'A sign of wisdom' she would say. Tarrion disagreed on this and felt old when he would see his reflection, despite the fact he was still in his prime and his body was still as strong as always.

The twins, Elaine and Terron were both six years old and they bore features of both their mother and father. Terron looked more like Tarrion, both in appearance and name. He had inherited parts of Tarrion, and his yellow eyes made clear that he had wolf-blood. Elaine took more after Serana and her eyes were dark red, indicating her Vampiric ancestry.

The youngest of the three children was Thalia, who also had dark hair, but was growing faster than her brother and sister and despite that she was two years younger, she was almost as tall as them. She was also much calmer than her siblings and liked to help Rayya and read more than run around in the garden or to play with Tarrion. Of the three children, she had the brightest eyes. Clear blue, and with her black hair they sometimes seemed to glow.

Skjor was the big wolf that had been a part of the family since before the twins were born. Named after Tarrion's old friend Skjor, the wolf stood almost four feet tall and with grey fur and yellow eyes, he had a highly intimidating look. But underneath that rough exterior was a kind-hearted and loving spirit, and Serana would often joke that Tarrion and Skjor were related in that regard.

"Ah, morning dear." Tarrion said as he kept Skjor off him and was about to lean in for a kiss.

"No…." Serana held him off. "First wash yourself… I'm not going to kiss you after Skjor has licked your face."

Tarrion walked past her, but quickly gave her a kiss on her cheek, after which she wiped the wolf-saliva off, but with a slight smile.

"Come on, kids. Time for lunch."

Elaine, Terron and Thalia ran past their mother into the house and Skjor came sitting next to Serana. She looked down on the animal and scratched it behind its ear. The wolf looked up at her with his tongue hanging from the corner of his mouth.

Later that evening, after Serana had put Thalia to bed she listened at how Tarrion put the twins to bed.

"No, not tomorrow." she heard him say. "Tomorrow we go to aunt Lydia, remember? We will have a long trip ahead, so you two have to go to sleep now."

"Will Skjor come with us? And will we also visit aunt Aela?" she heard Elaine ask.

"Of course we will. She lives in Whiterun too, and maybe you can ask Mila how to make those nice necklaces. She can make the best in Skyrim. But now to bed, both of you."

Serana heard how Tarrion gave both his kids a kiss on their forehead and left for the door. Serana felt a surge of happiness go through her and quickly left for her room. She hid behind the door and as soon as Tarrion entered she hugged him from behind and kissed his neck. Tarrion quickly turned around a pressed her against him and kissed her back.

"Gods… I love you." she sighed and they fell on the bed.

"I love you too." Tarrion answered. "You… Terron, Elaine, Thalia…. All of you. I am the luckiest man in the world."

"And I sometimes still can't believe it." Serana said and she rolled on top of him. "Me… a mother…. Having children…"

"And you're a wonderful mother, and the best wife I can imagine."

"So… what do you say…" Serana started and she looked him deep in his eyes. He saw hers flicker and glow and he had the same feeling he always had. Like they were the most beautiful things he had ever seen. "What do you say to giving the kids a brother or sister?"

She saw Tarrion's eyes widen. "You want more children?" he asked her.

"With you?... From the bottom of my heart, yes. Absolutely."

Tarrion's face changed from surprised to happy and he smiled at her.

"Then come here."

"Oh… we will have to be careful though." she whispered quickly. "It turns out Rayya heard us last night." and Tarrion raised an eyebrow. "She asked me if we could… 'keep it down'."

"Very well then." he whispered into her ear. "But don't think I'll make it easy for you."

Serana woke up panting and she immediately sat up straight. She looked around the room and saw it was as she remembered it. As she turned her head, she saw Tarrion lying next to her, sleeping soundly. In the dark she could still see his scars, but she now looked at his head. His hair was just as black as it had always been and there was no sign of aging to be seen. She quickly ran her hands through his hair, trying to see even a hint of grey amongst all the black, but there was nothing to be found. Tarrion mumbled in his sleep and woke up.

"Hmm… wha- what?" he mumbled in one of the pillows.

Before she could control herself she stepped out of her bed and left the room and started opening other rooms. All of them were empty and after she checked the last one she froze. She hardly noticed what was happening as she slowly closed the door and walked back to her room and she sat on the bed. Tarrion had woken up and now looked at her with his eyes half open.

"Serana? Are you alright?"

It took a while before she answered. She had to force herself to realize where she was and she only noticed now how the rain hammered on the windows. A summer storm had arrived in Skyrim and for three days straight the rain kept pouring down.

"Serana?" she heard Tarrion ask again.

"Oh… I, eh…. Don't worry, I'm fine." she stammered before pulling herself together. "Just a crazy dream."

Tarrion pushed himself up. "Nightmare?"

"No." she answered and a smile appeared on her face. "The exact opposite. It was a good dream…. The best I've ever had."

She turned to Tarrion and he saw her smile and he knew all was well.

"It's just…. It was too real. Far too real, and I just wished it were real."

"Then what did you dream about?" he asked, understanding it was a matter close to her.

Serana did not answer immediately. She knew it would open the door to an immense amount of questions, and she wasn't sure if she could answer them all. She wasn't sure what Tarrion's response would be. What if she told him she wanted children? What would he say? Would he agree with her? Would he disagree with her? Would he be happy or angry? Taken by surprise or had he also thought about it? What would he say and ask?

She started hesitantly. "I… I dreamt about us…. We were married."

She waited to see his reaction. He said nothing, and his face hardly changed, except for a slight widening of his eyes. She continued.

"We lived in this house, here in Falkreath. Rayya was still here, and it was clear a number of years had passed. Rayya seemed a little older, yet still the same. You too had aged a bit. You were not old, yet a few parts of your hair had turned grey."

She smiled to herself and looked at him. "I must say, it suited you."

He smiled back and made a slight chuckle. She knew that he knew that there was more to come and he remained silent.

"We even had a pet wolf. We named him Skjor, after your old friend, and he would sometimes play with the children in the garden out back where we had planted a few trees for shade and-…"

"Wow… stop, stop." Tarrion said and Serana quickly looked away. "We had children?"

She took a glance at him and saw that his face only held surprise. She saw no anger, no frustration, but no joy either. He clearly tried to wrap his head around the idea.

"Yes…. More than one." Serana continued. "We had twins, a daughter and a son, and another daughter."

Tarrion now stared at the bed and Serana saw his lips move. 'Three children?'

"Yes," she nodded. "and we were about to make an effort to make it four."

Tarrion's head fell backwards against the headboard and stared at the ceiling. He couldn't explain what he felt. It was pure surprise and shock, but he also felt a small surge of happiness and he felt how he had a slight, yet uncontrollable smile.

"Do… do you like that idea?" he heard Serana ask hesitantly.

"I…. I don't know what to say." and he meant it. "I'm at a loss of words."

He looked at Serana and she looked hopefully at him, hoping he would feel the same as her, yet he knew he didn't. He did not have the same dream as her… he couldn't know what she felt, yet a part of him started to understand a bit more.

"I must confess, Serana… I never gave it a lot of thought. Don't get me wrong though…. I love you. I love you with all my heart, and I have no intention of leaving you… ever. Yet the thought of having children…. It had crossed my mind, sure, but only briefly. On small moments…. Never long enough to really think about it."

"I understand." Serana nodded.

"Have you?"

Again, Serana hesitated, afraid or unsure of the reaction he would give. "Yes…. I have. But for very different reasons."

She sat in front of him and he saw how she was nervous. She took his hands and slightly squeezed them. She was now afraid. More afraid than she had been thus far. Until now she had been fairly sure of how he would respond. She knew he loved her and that was enough for her to know…. But now she had no idea what would happen. If it would affect their relationship in any way, or not at all, and she knew not which she would fear more.

She felt how he squeezed her hands a bit in response, and she sighed deeply before she took the dive.

"I don't know if I can." she blurted out rapidly. She then took a deep breath and repeated. "I don't know that is even possible for me."

"What do you mean?" Tarrion asked.

"'What do I mean'? Have children of course."

A part of Tarrion told him he should have known, yet he still felt surprised.

"You don't know if you can have children?"

"Yes. I am a Vampire. A Daughter of Coldharbour even! Vampires are technically dead, remember? We can't have children. The women can't get pregnant and the men can't impregnate... yet…."

"Yet?"

"Well…." and Serana now felt her frustration boiling up even more, and Tarrion noticed it. "Despite that I am a Vampire…. And despite that I am… well, 'dead'… a lot of parts of my body still work the same. I can hear… I can see…. I can smell, talk, taste. My muscles work, my brain still works….. and…. I am not sure if my womb is one of those parts about me that still work."

Serana got up and started pacing around the room and Tarrion followed her with his eyes. "I don't know if I can get pregnant. Vampires aren't exactly alive… so it would only make sense if I can't get pregnant…. Yet if many other parts of my body still work…. Does my womb still work too? Is it impossible for me to have children… or is it just very, very difficult?"

Serana stopped pacing and an expression of grief had appeared on her face. Tears now welled up in her eyes and her mouth was open in a silent cry. "This dream I had…. It was too real, and at the same time…. I don't know if it can ever be real. And more than that… how can I ever be a mother? I am a Vampire, and how can someone…. Something like me ever be a loving mother…. Who would want to call a Vampire 'mother'?"

"You think you'll be a bad mother because you're a Vampire?"

Tarrion had raised his voice only a little, yet the power could be sensed. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at her and a frown was on his face.

"What do you expect?" Serana asked, and Tarrion saw how an angry gaze appeared in her eyes. "How many Vampires have been good mothers? Name one. My mother was a Vampire and she wasn't exactly a good mother. She shut me out. She left me alone when I needed her. She would see me as a student, rather than a daughter. And in the end she locked me underground for centuries without even asking my opinion! Is that the kind of mother I can look up to? I have no example of mothership. My real 'mother' died thousands of years ago on that night in that valley… probably even before that. Is that the kind of mother I will be too? Isn't this inevitable?"

"That question has already been answered, remember?" Tarrion answered strongly. "When you told Paarthurnax about your father. About your fear of going down the same path as him, and do you remember his answer? 'I sense you have passed through much evil, and made into what you are by evil, yet I do not sense that evil in you'. As for your mother…. Don't be like her."

"Do you honestly think it is that simple?!"

"Yes! Just don't. Your mother was distant? Be as close as you can be. Your mother was cold-hearted? Be as warm and caring as possible. She showed no love? Show it. Love more and love harder than her….. What you missed in her, be that. Be everything you think a mother should be."

"Assuming I can ever be one. I still don't know if I can even have children or be a mother."

Serana looked at Tarrion. He had gotten up and now stood in front of her. The first rays of the sun now carefully looked over the mountains and entered the room. A deep red light slowly filled the room and they saw each other. Serana was still frustrated and angry. Tarrion was calmer, yet no less frustrated. He took her hands and gave them a slight squeeze.

"Neither do I." he answered and he tried to calm himself more. "But I do know one thing. If you are afraid of what you might do as a mother…. Of what you might become, that you might end up like your own mother… yet without trying… you fail by default. Your parents set a bad example of how to be parents… so, when the time comes, be the best parent you can be. Show them that, just because you're a Vampire, that doesn't mean you are a bad parent. Show them that you are a good person. They did it wrong… so do it right."

Serana stood petrified and looked at him and once again saw why Tarrion had the capabilities to be Thane, Harbinger and Archmage.

Wisdom.

Kindness.

Patience.

Calmness.

Love.

He neared her and gently grabbed her face and wiped a tear off her cheek with his thumb.

"I don't know if we will ever have children, Serana. But I truly hope we will. Maybe not today, or tomorrow…. But one day. You asked me if I ever thought about having children. No, I haven't. But now… now that I am with you… and now that I know that you will be the best mother one could ask for…. Would I want children with you?... from the bottom of my heart, yes. Absolutely."

And Serana felt herself growing warmer and calmer. She felt his hands on her face and took his wrists.

"Thank you."

"Anytime."

She gave him a slight smirk and before he could react, she grabbed his waist and threw him on the bed. Before he could recover, she was already on top of him and grabbed his wrists again, making him unable to move. With a sly smirk she kissed him and whispered in his ear.

"We should be quiet though. Rayya might hear us otherwise."

Tarrion smiled. "Very well then…. But don't think I'll make it easy for you."

And Serana smiled to herself as Tarrion kissed her neck, knowing that at least that part of her dream would become real.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's notes=

So…. I'm back. Sorry it took that long, but I have been busy with a lot of stuff. Nothing serious, but enough to keep me occupied for a long while. I actually planned on releasing this chapter on New-year's day, but oh well.

At any rate, I hope you liked the chapter, and I do hope you stay tuned for the next part.


	36. Blood Runs Deep 2

**Blood Runs Deep part 2**

With the sun rising and a cool breeze blowing through the windows, Serana woke up. She could smell the trees and plants outside and all around the house hung the smell of clean nature. The summer storm had passed and the clouds broke open to reveal a blue sky. The first thing Serana did was turn around to see if Tarrion was asleep, but the place next to her was empty. She felt an half urge to turn around again and fall back asleep, but she decided to get up. After a huge yawn, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and putting her hair back to normal she grabbed a few simple robes and left for the main dining area downstairs. She found that all was quiet and normal, except for a small opened box on the main table. She inspected it but found it empty with a note next to it.

 _Archmage Tarrion_

 _Thanks to our combined effort I was able to find the last bits of details we needed for the spell. I am fairly confident that it will work, though I am still unclear as to what purpose. But as you said it was a private matter I shall not ask again._

 _I cannot say this enough times however; I do not know if it will work. This is the first time I have ever tried this and even from our research did I find no clear evidence that it has worked in the past. I am fairly confident it will work, though I cannot be certain._

 _For the time being I do hope you will find a good use for it and not store it away on a display case and not use them as you have done with many other artefacts you have found in your travels. Don't blame me for knowing this, I heard it from others._

 _With the kindest of regards_

 _Sergius Turrianus_

Serana read the letter again and found herself more and more puzzled. Tarrion had been working on a spell, that was certain, and he had asked Sergius, the master enchanter of the College of Winterhold to help him with this, but the letter did not say what kind of spell. A curse? A cure? To what end? For whom? And why? She had too many questions regarding this, but only Tarrion could answer them.

But he was nowhere to be found. Other than the note there was no sign of him. Behind the house, in the garden, Serana did find Rayya. She was relaxing on a chair under one of the trees and seemed to be asleep.

"Morning Rayya."

She opened one eye and nodded. "Good morning."

"Do you know where Tarrion is? I can't find him."

Rayya sat up straight. "No, I don't know where he has gone, but he left something for you."

The Redguard woman grabbed a small note from her pocket and gave it to Serana. "He left but he didn't tell me where to. He said you would understand it."

"A note? That's all?" Serana asked confused.

 _Meet me where we first kissed_

Serana stared at the few words that were written.

'Where we first kissed?'

"I don't know where he has gone, but he told me you would know."

Serana slowly nodded. "I think I know where…. But I don't understand why." She looked at the housecarl. "He didn't tell you anything else?"

Rayya smiled and threw her hands up. "If he didn't tell you, he sure wouldn't have told me."

Serana looked at the note again, and found it more and more curious by the second.

"Alright…. But this place is not exactly close by. A day's travel… and then you're fast."

"That means I have two days for myself here?" Rayya asked with a smile. "Good. I needed the rest. Maybe I'll throw a party."

Serana snickered and smiled.

Half an hour later Serana said goodbye to Rayya and left on a horse for the location. She knew it could only be one location. Technically two, since the first time she kissed Tarrion was in a small shack at the edge of the Rift, but she found it highly unlikely, and highly unromantic, to pick that as the first time. No. she knew it could only mean Ancestor Glade. Where she and Tarrion finally confessed their growing feelings for each other. She remembered what it looked like. The trees growing inside this underground glade. The deep scent that filled your nose. The small pools of warm water and the steam that came from them. The moths flying around Tarrion as he tried not to shake them off while they were crawling over his arms.

She smiled to herself as her horse followed the main road that lead to Falkreath. Before too long there would be a path that lead into the forests and she knew she would have to follow it. She knew Tarrion would have a surprise for her. He wouldn't have picked that place otherwise, and he would have told her otherwise. She knew it would be a surprise and she was looking forward to it.

It was night when she finally reached the entrance to the cave. Without stopping the entire day, her horse was exhausted and as soon as Serana stepped away, it sunk through its knees into the snow. The climb up the mountains was long and tiring, but she knew she was at the right place, because she saw another horse standing next to another tree. She recognized the large black horse as Tarrion's, and she walked toward the cave. Fresh footprints lay before her and she realized Tarrion must have known she was coming.

Outside the cave she felt the cold of the snow and the mountain wind, but inside the cave it was warmer. She followed the same path she had followed a year before and with her Vampiric eyes she was able to see everything as clear as day.

After the small cavern she followed a narrow path further down and suddenly stepped into the massive open cavern known as Ancestor Glade. The only difference she saw was the light that fell from the large hole in the ceiling. It was now a pale, silver light from the moon and stars that shone through and all was illuminated by it. The silver mist that hung everywhere was warm and soothing.

As she walked down the path, she saw something hanging on a small rock. As she neared it she saw it was a cloak. Serana gave herself a sly smirk as she walked on, and after a few more steps, she saw two boots standing by a tree. Knowing perfectly well what game Tarrion was playing she decided to play along. She took off her boots and placed them next to his before walking on, and as she continued she found more pieces of clothing hanging from branches or placed against boulders.

She heard a deep breath as she reached the bottom of the glade. Her eyes pierced the pale light and she saw a man lying in one of the pools, the water reaching to his chest. She saw his chest was bare, while still wore her trousers and a simple tunic.

"Good evening miss." she heard him say. "What brings you here on this fine evening?"

"I am supposed to meet someone here." she answered. "Have you perhaps seen someone here?"

"I may have. What does he look like?"

"Tall…. " she answered with a sultry voice and she walked toward him. "Dark hair, and so muscular."

"I see." the man answered and Serana could see his smile. "Is he strong?"

"Very strong."

"Is he good?"

"The best."

"Is he handsome?"

"So very… very handsome."

"Very interesting. And a coincidence, because I am waiting for someone too."

"May I ask who?"

"A very old woman, yet still exceptionally good looking."

"Is she now?" Serana asked, and she pouted her lips when she heard how he called her old. "What does she look like?"

"Young…. Hair as black as the night, and her skin like ivory."

"Does she have a good body?"

"The best."

"Is she nice?"

"Nicer than her is impossible."

"Is she pretty?"

"No… she is beautiful."

Serana had reached the man who still did not look at her. She stood right behind him and looked down at his scars and black hair.

"And how is her taste in men?"

"She seems to have a thing for werewolves…. I'm not sure what to think of it."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, I know. And this man you are looking for, what of him? How is his taste in women?"

"Just as crazy as this woman you are waiting for," Serana softly said, and she kneeled behind him. "possibly even crazier. He seems to like Vampires… and I am not sure if I should be worried or not."

With a soft and gentle touch she slid her hands down his shoulders and over his chest. He tilted his head backwards as she reached down and she kissed him. His hands reached upwards and cupped her face.

Serana felt how she kissed Tarrion upside down, and it was a strangely good feeling. Her hands still reached down to his chest and abdomen and she could feel his scars. The cuts, lacerations and burns that have healed over the years, yet left their marks on his body… she could feel them all.

Suddenly his hands grabbed her by her waist and before she could react he threw her into the water. She came back up coughing and soaked, but before she could say anything, he grabbed her again and pressed his lips against hers. Her body fell limp again and she could only cup his face, close her eyes and let it all happen. No matter how often he had kissed her, no matter what would happen… this would still be her greatest weakness.

* * *

"You find me alright?"

"Of course… it wasn't a difficult clue you left."

"Still…. It could have meant a different place."

"You mean that little shack? I know you, Tarrion. Long enough at least to know that you have a sense of romance and drama."

Tarrion chuckled and squeezed her hand. They both lay next to the pools, trying to dry themselves in the steam that came from the water. It didn't really help, but they didn't care. Serana's clothes hung on a nearby tree branch drying, and the two lovers lay beside each other holding hands.

"I'm still wondering why, though."

Serana raised herself up and leaned on her elbow. "Why did you suddenly leave? Why did you want me to come here?"

Tarrion gave her a smile and turned around to reach for a small backpack. It was placed next to a tree, beside a sword and his remaining clothes. Serana looked intrigued as he pulled out a small, polished box.

"I brought you here to ask you something…. And give you something."

A blush had become clearly visible on his face, and it made Serana want to burst out in laughter. Tarrion was almost always someone who would either be good humoured, or tough and strong…. But now he blushed like a young boy who is about to give freshly picked flowers to a girl he has a crush on. He sat up straight and faced her. Serana followed his example and her smile lessened a bit. It seemed to her that Tarrion was serious, not light-hearted and the blush on his face was sincere. She glanced from his face, to the box, and back.

"I have known you for a long time now, Serana." Tarrion started and Serana could hear that his voice was dry. Like he practiced saying this, yet still tried to find the right words. "I know that we have been through a lot together… yet it never drove us apart. I…."

He swallowed and took a deep breath. "I know I have already asked this before, yet… not the way I wanted. I wanted to do it right. And.. and I know you actually need an Amulet of Mara for this, but…"

'An Amulet of Mara?' Serana though to herself. 'What do you need an Amulet of….' And her eyes widened.

"I'm just going to ask it." Tarrion sighed. "Serana…. Would you…. Would you be….. Will you marry me?"

He opened the box and inside she saw a ring.

Serana knew that if her heart would still be beating, it would have skipped several beats now, but her stomach did make a few turns and twists, and all the warmth of the pools left her body…. Only to come back with renewed and overwhelming strength.

"I… I know you're supposed to ask this differently, but I didn't want to…"

But Serana flew at him and smothered his words with an array of snogs and kisses.

"Yes." she whispered as she kissed his cheek.

"By the gods, yes." she said as she felt his body writhing in her arms.

"For the love of Sovngarde, yes!" she shouted as she felt his nails scratch her skin.

"BY THE BLOOD, YES!" she screamed as they rolled back into the pool.

The night continued outside, but not a creature inside the cave was asleep. Not even the moths were able to rest under Serana's screams as she and Tarrion made love with a passion that exceeded even their night after the Blood Moon. Yet the only thing she was able to utter all night… was 'Yes'.

* * *

The next morning Tarrion woke up only to see Serana's glowing eyes stare at him with a passion he had come to adore.

"I know this is the part where I ask you if you're sure." she said with a smile. "but I already know that you are. I would ask you if you mean it, but I know that you do."

"Well…. There is no need to ask." Tarrion smiled and he pulled her close. "because I will say the same thing you were screaming all night. Am I sure? Yes. Do I know of the consequences? Yes. Do I know what others may or may not think of it. Yes. Do I choose you over any of them. Yes….. Do I love you? Yes."

They shared a kiss and Serana fell on her back and looked at the golden light that fell from the ceiling. It was slightly blinding and she held her right hand in front of her eyes to protect her eyes a bit. On her ring-finger they saw a new ring. It was made of incredibly light, and polished ebony with a diamond in the centre. On the band of the ring, she saw small runes made from countless, tiny shards of sapphire. She could not read them, yet she thought she knew the language.

Most rings would be made from either silver or gold, but gold clashed horribly with her pale skin, and silver would hurt her. The dark colour of ebony did not clash with her skin, it did not harm her and it was exceptionally difficult to break.

"What does it say?" she asked as she looked at the runes. "I would guess they're Dragon runes, yet I don't know what they say."

Tarrion snuggled against her and took her hand.

"In Dragon Tongue it says ' _Dii Lokaal'_."

Serana felt the power that came from his Voice and she shivered. "And in Common?"

" _My love._ "

After a while the two decided to go back home. Tarrion put his clothes back on as they neared the entrance and Serana could not stop looking at her shining new ring. It sat comfortably around her finger and it fitted perfectly. The ring made her feel warmer than before, and she thought it was the feeling that this gift gave her.

But when they exited the cave and Serana put her hood back on, Tarrion stopped her.

"Would you mind not putting your hood on?"

"What? Why?"

"Because I may have another surprise for you… but I am not entirely sure it will work."

"And you need my hood for that?" she asked amused.

"No… not that. Just… trust me. Keep your hood down for now."

Carefully Serana lowered her hood and Tarrion lead her outside. The sky was clear, except for a few small clouds that drove by, and the sun shone bright on the snow. It blinded Serana and she squinted.

"Tarrion… this will hurt. The sun will…."

But the pain she thought she would feel did not come. Her eyes slowly became attuned to the brightness outside, and she felt the rays of the sun on her skin. But it did not burn her. She felt her face and it didn't feel scorched. It was smooth as always and the sun warmed it. Soothing and pleasant.

"…burn me."

She looked around her, trying to find if there was something different. She looked at Tarrion, and she saw a slight and unsure smile on his face.

"What? How is thi-…"

Then she looked at the ring she wore around her finger.

"What kind of ring is this?"

Tarrion came standing close to her and took the hand which held the ring.

"Remember when we went to the College? I had to welcome new students and all?"

Serana nodded.

"While we were there, there were a few nights that I stayed up late, remember? I said I would join you later?"

Serana nodded again.

"I used that time to ask Sergius to help me with a spell. An Enchantment to be precise. I asked him if he ever heard of an Enchantment that would negate the effects of the sun. He looked through dozens of books…. We both did, yet he did most of the research I must say… and eventually we found ancient notes on a spell that could do it. So… after a hours of practice and trying we were able to successfully cast it. But the first attempt was too weak to have any significance… but I knew it would work. Then I sent a letter to Eorlund Greymane… the man who works the Skyforge, and asked him to make me a special ring."

He rubbed Serana's finger. "This one. Then I sent a letter to Sergius…. He brought me the scroll for the spell… and it arrived yesterday night. You were still asleep when I cast it."

Tarrion shrugged. "I wanted to give it to you straight away, but….. I also wanted to ask you to marry me and I thought-…"

"… it would go nicely together." Serana finished his sentence, and he nodded.

When Tarrion saw Serana said nothing else, and just stared from him to the ring and back, a feeling of regret came over him. He suddenly started to doubt if this was a good idea. He started to fear that she would be offended by it. Like she thought he wanted a part of her to change.

"If you don't like it then… I mean I hope you don't think that I dislike that part about you. I don't, it's-…"

"No.. no, no." Serana shook her head. "It's just…. A lot to take in."

She looked out over Falkreath Hold as it lay below her. she could see the mountains in the distance and the gap between two rocky hills where their house lay. She felt different. Different in a way she could not describe.

"I… I don't know what to feel. I feel something I have never felt before. My skin feels…. Warm. But not in a normal 'warm' way. Yet I also feel I should know it. Like a memory….. or a memory of a memory."

"Are… are you happy to feel that way?" Tarrion asked carefully.

Serana answered slowly. "I think so."

Tarrion sighed deeply and felt how a weight fell off his shoulders. "I am relieved."

Together they walked to their horses who were desperately trying to find any green amongst all the white snow, and Tarrion's horse had already started to nibble on the needles of one of the nearby trees. They mounted them and started their descend down the mountains.

"Huh…" Serana chuckled. "It feels weird not having my hood on."

"To tell you the truth… you look better without it."

Serana became more and more accustomed to the feeling of the sun on her skin almost by the second. By the time they came at the slopes of the mountains she felt relieved and constantly rode her horse through the open areas to feel as much sun on her skin as possible. Tarrion saw how she smiled uncontrollably and it made him smile all the same.

After leaving the mountains and arriving in the large forests of Falkreath they stopped at a small stream where the grass was tall and thick. The horses immediately started eating while Tarrion and Serana sat next to each other, leaning against a fallen tree. Serana threw her hair back and closed her eyes as the rays of the sun warmed her face, and Tarrion smiled at the sight.

"So…"

"So..?"

"Yea…. Now that we are, officially, going to marry…" Tarrion smirked. "I guess we have some planning to do. How do you want to get married?"

"Well…. I don't know what would happen normally during a wedding in Skyrim," Serana remarked. "I have been away for several thousand years, so…. How does that happen? Any traditions I need to be aware of?"

Tarrion shook his head. "Not that I know of… when two people show interest in each other, they just go to the Temple of Mara in Riften and have the ceremony there. It is fairly simple… just invite your friends over, and within the hour you-…"

"WHAT?" Serana blurted out. "Is that it? That is not going to happen to us!"

She had raised her voice, but Tarrion saw a wide smile on her face.

"There is no way I get married to you in a small ceremony. Over my dead... undead body! I want a massive party…. A huge cake…. Lots and lots of treats… And don't look at me like only I want this, Tarrion." Because she saw the amusement on his face. "You are the Dragonborn, Thane in every city, etcetera, etcetera and so forth…. You can't get married just like that. And I won't let you."

"What? Is that really wha-…" Tarrion started, but Serana talked right past him.

"No… there is no way that will happen. We're going to have a huge wedding. A cake… no, two cakes!... Not to mention a feast that will last for hours… or days. Apparently royalty has events and parties that last for days….. Well, you're technically not royalty, but I kind of am… so we will have a huge party. Lydia will be one of the bridesmaids, and I think about Aela to be the other one…. Can we have more than two bridesmaids? And of course I need a good dress… I can't get married in a tunic like this… And you need a good outfit too, probably some ceremonial armour, not to mention..."

Tarrion smiled and noticed how she kept talking, despite that he closed his eyes and slowly drifted away. The sun gave him a warm feeling and his entire body felt tired. He felt happy… he felt how life was good. It was a beautiful day… he could enjoy it to the fullest… and the love of his life had just accepted to marry him. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep with a wide smile on his face.

The next day, while they rode past Pinewatch, Serana was still in her wedding-rush, and Tarrion heard it all, yet listened only half. He would nod and say 'Hmm, yes' every once in a while. He had no plans of getting married the next week… probably not even the next month, but he also had no intention of not planning it not at all. He silently tried to figure out what the best time of year was to get married, and of course have a good honeymoon destination.

"What is going on here?" Serana suddenly asked. "Tarrion…. Tarrion! Stop daydreaming."

"Hmm? What? Sorry, what did you say?"

"If I'm boring you, just say so…. But look."

Tarrion looked up to where his manor was, and saw indeed that something was going on. Several saddled horses stood by the road that led to the main building. Tarrion immediately saw that these horses were not from Skyrim. These horses were lighter and had a less sturdy build, but seemed to have a higher endurance. Each of the animals were beautiful indeed, and the saddles were ornamented and were made out of expensive leather. Three large carriages with were parked next to the small stable that stood away from the manor. They were large and high, but not open like the carriages in Skyrim. They were closed, with ornamented doors and windows with curtains hanging inside. Tarrion tried to find out who might be on his doorstep, and saw a crest on the doors of the carriages. The Imperial Dragon. He knew that the Empire was on his doorstep, and judging by the look of the horses and carriages… he knew that someone important was here.

"What in Oblivion is going on?"

Tarrion and Serana dismounted and lead their horses to the stables.

"There are people inside."

Serana nodded to the house. "I can sense them. At about a dozen of them, and two are standing by the doors."

Tarrion did not answer but looked around to see any other indication of who might be in his house, but saw none.

Then the doors opened and two guards walked out. Tarrion immediately recognized them as Imperials, and they both wore Imperial armor. As soon as they saw Tarrion and Serana they put their hands on the hilts of their swords.

"Who are you?" one of them asked.

"Who am I?" and Tarrion walked up to the two guards. "Who are you to walk into my house and ask me who I am?"

He now stood right in front of the two, and they barely reached his chin. "State your business."

"I suggest you lower your voice, sir." the other guard said, and he was clearly offended. "We are here on official Imperial business and you do not intimidate us."

"That was the wrong answer." He barked at them and took another step toward them, and saw how their hands grasped the hilts of their swords tighter. "Now… out of my way."

"Ha! Do you honestly think tha-…"

Before either of them could respond, Tarrion threw both of them out of his way. Through his incredible strength, both of them flew aside and landed against a wall on the ground. Tarrion ignored their curses and threw the large doors to his house open, with Serana right behind him.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

They come back home and, Boom! Imperials have taken over the place. These two just can't catch a break now can they? But for what purpose are they here? You can find out… in the next chapter :)

(On the ring Tarrion gave Serana, there are Dragon runes, but i can't show them to you. It seems FanFiction does not support any other font than the standard one. If i type it down, i get something like #Font1 LokD :) sorry... but no Dragon Runes here


	37. Blood Runs Deep 3

**Blood Runs Deep part 3**

Tarrion barged through the hallway that would lead to the main room. He threw the doors that lead to the main hall wide open, and he saw several people standing or sitting.

Four of them were guards, and they were Imperials, just like the two outside. They grasped their swords as soon as they saw Tarrion, but their leader raised his hand and they calmed down. Their leader, also Imperial, sat in one of the chairs and was wearing an engraved set of armour. Tarrion recognized it as the armour of the Penitus Oculatus, the personal bodyguard of the Emperor. His hair hung behind him, long and flowing and he had a patronizing expression of disgust on his face.

"What is the meaning of this?" Tarrion asked angrily. "Who in Oblivion are you and what are you doing here?"

The leader of the group stood up. "Calm yourself, Nord. First tell us who you are."

"That's rich coming from someone who has broken into MY house!"

"Your house?" the Imperial asked calmly. "I see… then you must be the Thane, am I correct?"

"Again… who is asking?" Serana said who came standing next to Tarrion.

The man clearly wanted to say several things to her, but gave a slight nod. "I am Marcus Maro, Septor of the Penitus Oculatus, but that is all you will know for now-.."

"Marcus… That is enough."

Another person walked through the doors that lead to the dining area, followed by Rayya. The voice gave away that she was a woman, but she was wearing a hood. She apparently outranked the Septor, because he stopped talking and gave Serana an unsettling gaze.

The woman took her hood off and faced Tarrion. As soon as she did she froze, and Tarrion felt a similar feeling.

She was shorter than him, yet a bit taller than Serana and she was a Nord. Her hair was brown, long and tied behind her head. She was wearing scarlet red robes with golden imagery, and a diamond-encrusted necklace hung on her chest. Her eyes were deep and several rings adorned her fingers. She stared at Tarrion like she saw a ghost, until she was able to utter one word.

"….Tarrion?"

Tarrion stood there frozen to the ground. Serana gave him a strange look before looking back at the woman. Marcus apparently did not expect this either and raised both his eyebrows.

"Should I know y-… wait!" Tarrion said slowly, until it hit him. "I know that voice….. Elaine?"

"Tarrion!" the woman said as she walked towards him and hugged him. He was only half able to wrap one arm around her.

"How…. How have you been?" she asked as she pulled herself back. "I haven't seen you in…. how long was it? Ten years? Twelve? How are you?"

"I.. eh.." Tarrion stammered but Marcus interrupted him.

"It seems you two know each other… very touching of course, but we have business to discuss. I suggest that you and your pale squeeze sit down so we can get to business."

"What did you just call me?" Serana snapped at him.

"Do not give me orders in my own home!" Tarrion shouted and he took two steps at the man.

"Marcus…. That can wait." Elaine said quickly before things would escalate. "Please, wait outside…. We can talk later."

"Milady… I don't think I need to remind you of our mission. We don't have time to fraternize with the local rabble."

"Marcus! Outside. All of you." she snapped at him.

The Imperial stood up and reluctantly walked toward the door, ignoring Serana like she did not exist. The guards followed him until only Tarrion, Serana, Elaine and Rayya remained.

"Alright.. what is the meaning of this?" Serana asked sternly. "Who are you and what is are these Imperials doing here?"

"Forgive me, sir." Rayya said quickly as she walked up to Tarrion and made a bow. "I am sorry I could not warn you. I tried to stop them and told them you weren't home, but they refused to listen. Forgive me thane."

"Thane?" Elaine blurted out. "Tarrion… you're a thane?"

"Yes I… Wait a minute… that man called you 'Milady'. What are you exactly?"

"CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON!"

Serana shouted so loud it scared Rayya, and Tarrion felt that he indeed needed to explain the situation.

"Yes… sorry Serana. Eh… Serana, this is Elaine. My sister. Elaine… meet Serana. My.. betrothed now."

"Sister? You have a sister?" Serana shouted indignantly.

"Betrothed? You're getting married?" Elaine shouted in surprise.

"You finally proposed?" Rayya asked in relief.

"Yes… Yes and yes. Now, please… Elaine. What are you doing here?"

"Sir..." Rayya interrupted quickly. "May I suggest that we all take a seat and I'll prepare something for everyone?"

"Eh, what? Oh… yes, good idea." Tarrion stammered. "Why don't we all… eh, go to the parlour and talk there."

The trio left for a smaller room while Rayya rushed to the kitchen to prepare something for them to eat and drink. Serana walked right next to Tarrion and whispered to him.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a sister?"

She knew Tarrion was not very open about his past, but it never really mattered to her. Her own past held horrors that she would never share with anyone, not even Tarrion, and so she asked little. But now that his sister showed up at their doorstep, she wanted to know the truth.

"I'll explain later, alright? When we're alone."

All three of them took a seat on comfortable chairs and Serana kept looking from Elaine to Tarrion and back. Neither of them seemed to know what to say, until Elaine broke the silence.

"So.. Tarrion. How are you? You seem to be doing quite well for yourself."

She looked around the room and it was clear she was impressed.

"Yes… I am, thank you."

Serana saw that Tarrion felt uneasy and he spoke slowly, trying to pick the right words. "I'm doing well… well enough."

"Well enough?" Elaine asked. "Look at this place. It's huge! And look at you. You've grown a lot little brother. You even have a beard now!"

Tarrion absently stroked his chin, which was indeed covered with short black hair, along with his jaws, cheeks and temples.

"Yea… you need to shave again." Serana remarked.

"And you…" Elaine looked at Serana. "You are betrothed to my little brother? For how long?"

"Eh… yes, I am," Serana blushed. "but not for that long. Two days actually."

But Tarrion intruded.

"Elaine…. Why are you here? What is going on?"

Elaine sighed and took another glance at Serana and smiled at her before turning back to Tarrion.

"Well…. You've guessed correctly that this is not a social visit. I'm here on….. both personal and official business."

She leaned in, as if to make sure that no-one else would hear the sensitive information she was about to say.

"It is about Thalia…."

Tarrion's eyes widened a bit when he heard the name.

"She is in Skyrim, but I don't know where, and from what I have gathered…. It is not good news."

"Who is Thalia?" Serana asked.

"Our sister." Elaine said with a glance at Serana before turning to Tarrion. "We have to find her and bring her home."

"You have two sisters?"

Serana fell back in her chair and could not believe her ears. "You have two sisters and you never told me?"

"What do you know so far?" Tarrion asked, ignoring Serana. "And why do you have an entire escort from the Penitus Oculatus?"

"Yes…." Elaine answered and she glanced quickly from Tarrion to Serana and back. "They are with me because they need to investigate rumours about Stormcloaks. I heard the rebellion has died down after Ulfirc Stormcloak died, but some people in Cyrodiil are not convinced. They want these rebels that are still out there dealt with, one way or the other. But when I heard that Thalia may also be in Skyrim, I demanded I would lead the ones send here."

"You 'demanded'?"

"Yes…. I gained a high rank in the emperor's entourage and I have quite a bit of leverage. I never told them that Thalia was involved, nor do I know if she even is… but if she is, I don't want her to be harmed."

She nodded to the door that lead to the main hall. "They don't know that I am only here for Thalia, but if they do they might report back to the emperor. If Thalia is somehow involved in this, and word got out, it would ruin everything I built over the years."

Tarrion gave her a strange look. Serana saw it and she knew what it meant, and it seemed Elaine seemed to feel the same.

"Don't get me wrong here." she quickly added. "I love Thalia… she is still my sister, but well….. you know how she is."

"It has been a long time…. But I remember." Tarrion answered slowly.

Elaine nodded and continued. "I arrived in Falkreath about a week ago, but the Jarl couldn't help me. He directed me to his thane, because 'he travels a lot and would likely know more'. I had no idea that this 'thane' would be you."

Tarrion nodded. "Well, I have to disappoint you. I haven't heard anything about any growing unrest or even hints at a new or persisting rebelling. Are you sure these rumours are true?"

"True enough for my superiors to take serious action."

It was quiet for a moment. Tarrion was lost in thought and Serana knew that she couldn't help at the moment. Elaine looked at the two of them and waited for either of them to say something. When that didn't happen she sighed.

"Look, I don't like this situation any more than you do, but it is family. But the problem is just that I don't know anyone here. I am a stranger, but….. you're not. I need to find Thalia before my 'escort' finds her, but I cannot just go and ask around. I wouldn't even know where to begin. I need your help with this. Will you help me?"

Tarrion did not look at Elaine, being too occupied with his thoughts, but he knew he had to give an answer. On the one hand he wanted to help. As Elaine said 'it is family'. And he valued his family. On the other hand, he had gotten used to the peace and calm. The peace that lasted in Skyrim had lasted for long enough for Tarrion to ask Serana to marry him. And she had said yes, so he wanted to continue the peace and calm and focus on planning a wedding. Yet he knew that it was both his duty to help, and his family that he needed to help. He looked at Serana and she gave a slight nod.

"Yes…" he nodded. 'I'll help. But we can't do much today. I'm sure you've had a long journey behind you and could use some rest. You're welcome to stay here. There are a few guest rooms you can make use of."

Elaine sighed in relief and a smile appeared on her face. "Thank you, little brother. I feel better already."

Elaine thanked Tarrion again and went outside to tell the men that all was well, but Tarrion left for his bedroom as soon as she left the main hall. He fell on his bed and let out a huge sigh. The amount of emotions he had to keep down during the last hour left him exhausted and he knew it would not get any better any time soon now that he promised to help find Thalia.

He was about to close his eyes when Serana walked into the room. She gave him a serious gaze and closed the door.

"You have quite a bit to explain to me."

Tarrion sighed again. He knew she was right, yet he felt too tired to do so.

"I don't suppose this can wait?" he asked as he sat up straight.

"No." she answered sternly and se grabbed a seat in front of him and looked him straight in his eyes.

The look she gave him was fierce. A look he had never seen before, except maybe once. When Serana had confronted her mother, she had given her a similar look. A look that said 'Explain yourself'.

"Ugh…" Tarrion moaned. "I… I don't even know where to start."

"Then start with this; why have you never told me that you had a sister…. Never mind two."

Tarrion was about to open his mouth when Serana added. "And don't lie, Tarrion. Don't start this betrothal with lying to me."

He shook his head slightly. "Never." and he took a deep breath.

"I never told you because i…. don't have many fond memories of them." he started. "My sisters were always….. and from what I hear they still are…. Two opposites. They're… two sides of the same coin. Sisters, yet very different."

Tarrion remembered a few fragmented memories of when he was only a child.

"My father was a Nord. My mother was also a Nord, but she was born in Cyrodiil. That never caused any real problems, but after my sisters were born, and after they grew up, problems started to happen."

"Elaine is the elder. She had always considered herself to be the 'big sister' and the wiser sister. No matter what I or Thalia would tell her. As for Thalia, she was the younger sister, yet fiery. Stubborn, but loyal to a fold. I was the youngest of us three. I…."

He sighed again. "I'll spare you the smaller details, but over time the two of them grew apart. Thalia felt like she was a Nord, and the Nords of Skyrim are, as you know, stubborn and proud. Elaine was more drawn to Cyrodiil and the Empire. My parents went with either of them. My father agreed with Thalia, my mother agreed with Elaine…. And I was caught in the middle. Over time, that rift between them increased. Thalia would never be friends with anyone that isn't a Nord, and Elaine became too occupied with the Empire and the whole disagreement with Talos matter. They eventually dragged our parents with them. Eventually… we separated. Thalia and my father stayed in Skyrim, and my mother, Elaine and I left for Cyrodiil. I was…. Twelve years old at the time. We settled in the Imperial City where Elaine immediately started studying. I went with her for a while, but…"

Tarrion shook his head at the memories. "I never felt the same way she did. I wanted to go back to Skyrim but I did not want to let them down. My mother would sometimes regret the decision to leave her husband, yet the next day all was well again. After two years she dies of a fever. Both Elaine and I were heartbroken, but when she went back to her studies again, I was left with no-one. A year after that I left to return to Skyrim. But I never found my father, or my sister. I searched for them…. I stayed in Skyrim for almost four years until I gave up the search. I assumed they left Skyrim…. Or… they were dead. I was about to leave…. To return to Cyrodiil…. But I was caught in an ambush and brought to Helgen to be executed…. But then Alduin attacked and.. well… you know the rest."

Serana had listened to his story, and a part of her understood what he felt. The pain that family can cause is a deep and sensitive pain, and most people, including her, would prefer not to talk about it. Yet she knew better than anybody that sharing this pain with those that care will relief that pain.

After a while she said. "You should have told me."

"I know I should have, but…." he sighed in frustration. "it is family. It is…. They drove me crazy sometimes. I would tell them to stop the endless bickering, but they would never listen. They tore our family apart, and I never wanted to revisit that. I don't even like it that they're here."

"Why?"

"Because they bring trouble! They will tear at each other's throats if they can, they will drive each other away again. They're family, I know…. But they bring trouble. Everything was going so well between you and I, and now I am afraid that the peace that we had has been disrupted. And only one of the two is here!"

Serana leaned in. "Trouble or not…. They are still your sisters… your family… and you stand up for your family."

"You killed your own father, so you have no say in this."

Before Tarrion had even uttered those words he knew he had crossed several lines. He immediately recoiled and looked down to the floor, afraid to look at Serana. And a good thing too, because her face had shifted from understanding, to an icy anger that Tarrion could feel right through him, even without looking at her.

"I'm sorry…. I shouldn't have-…"

"That was cold, Tarrion."

He knew that he had said something that even he did not fully understand, and he made a hesitant glance at Serana, but looked back down again when he saw how her eyes flared at him.

"I'm sorry….. that was….. I shouldn't have said that. I… I didn't mean that… I'm sorry."

"I know you are…" she answered. Her voice was still angry, and with every word her teeth were bared, yet her tone was not cold anymore. "and I know you didn't mean it. But don't say that again."

Tarrion quickly nodded. "Yes… of course…. Never…"

Serana still stared at him and saw how his shoulder and arms moved uncontrollably and she knew he regretted what he said. After a while Tarrion looked up at her and she saw a tear in his eye.

"This is what I mean." his voice trembled slightly and the tear welled up. "Already they frustrate me…. They frustrate me so much that this happens between us. I don't want that to happen. I don't want the same thing that happened to my parents happen to us."

Serana's angry gaze now left her completely as she saw how tears dripped on his cheeks. It melted her heart, and she got up and kneeled in front of him and took his hands.

"It won't." she said tenderly.

"I had just gotten so used to the peace and calm between us. The easy life. No problems happening…. Nothing else was out there but our love for each other…. I don't want that to go away….. I don't want to lose you."

She raised herself and cupped his face as she kissed him tenderly. She felt his hand hesitantly embracing her as she hugged him and sat on his lap. She gave his lip a slight tug as she pulled back and gave him a slight smile.

"You won't. Over my dead body….. alright… my 'undead' body."

He gave her a watery smile. She embraced him and kissed his neck. His arms wrapped themselves around her and stroked her back.

"Thank you." she heard him say. "And I'm sorry…. For not telling you about my family. And for what I said…. Can you forgive me?"

"I already have."

The two went downstairs again where Elaine and her escort waited patiently to be shown to their rooms. Elaine looked with concern in her eyes at them, but Tarrion smiled at her.

"Is everything alright?" she asked him.

"Yes, it is." and he directed himself to Rayya who made sure that the soldiers would behave. "Rayya, would you show Elaine to the main guest room, please? The rest of them can sleep in the west wing."

The soldiers bowed and thanked them, except for the two soldiers that Tarrion had thrown aside outside, and the Septor Marcus Maro. When he wanted to walk to the stairs Tarrion stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"The west wing." the septor said indignantly.

"Not you…. Not until you apologize."

"For what?" Marcus asked, now clearly offended.

"For disrespecting me in my own house." Tarrion said and he looked Marcus straight in his eyes, using his height and build to force the Septor to look up. "But most of all, for insulting my fiancée."

Serana gave the Septor a stern look with one eyebrow raised, but inside she smiled.

"How dare you address someone of my station-.."

"You can apologize, or sleep with the horses outside." Tarrion barked at him.

Marcus looked at Elaine, but she also had the same look that Serana had. One eyebrow raised and a fierce gaze. Seeing that no-one would come to his aid, Marcus took a deep breath to calm himself and turned to Serana.

"I apologize for what I said, milady. Please, forgive my rudeness."

He made a slight bow to hide his face, but both Tarrion and Serana knew full well that he tried to hide his anger. Serana waited a few seconds before she answered, clearly enjoying to see his anger.

"You are forgiven." she eventually answered, but before Marcus could walk away she continued. "However… if you insult me again… I will have your blood."

The Septor had to use all his willpower to keep his mouth shut and make a slight nod at her, before walking up the stairs to the bedrooms. His men followed him and Serana came standing next to Tarrion.

"You really turn me on when you stand up for me like that."

"Why do you think I stand up for you in the first place?"

Serana chuckled and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

Ah, yes. Family brings trouble, and in no small amount. How will it go when two sisters, with completely opposite views on the world, meet each other again after years of being apart. Will Tarrion be able to keep them calm, or will things escalate in an entire rebellion?

 **Septor:** A rank i made up for the Penitus Oculatus. You can say it is sort of a General for this organization.

 **(OC) Elaine:** Sister to Tarrion, in case you have not read the entire chapter. She has studied in the Imperial City in Cyrodiil and became highly influential and powerful in the daily politics in the Empire. Having met with the Emperor himself a few times she is held in the highest respect. She is NOT a member of the Elder Council, but basicly the next best thing.

(You will hear more about Thalia in the following chapters)

 **(OC) Marcus Maro:** You may have noticed that his last name is the same as Gaius Maro and his father Commander Maro (first name never given). He is indeed family to them and is Gaius' uncle.

Like/favourite if you liked the chapter. And of course, leave a review.


	38. Blood Runs Deep 4

**Blood Runs Deep 4**

With the sun slowly rising over the eastern mountains of Skyrim, Tarrion, Serana, Elaine and her escort started with their journey toward Whiterun. It was still early, and the forests of Falkreath only just started to wake up, but the company was wide awake.

Rayya was delighted when she entered the guest rooms and saw that the soldiers had been professional. She feared that everything would lie everywhere, but the beds were already made and the room itself was clean, aside from the smell of a dozen sweating men. She only needed to open a few windows and let the room clean itself.

Tarrion had suggested to Elaine to head for Whiterun. The city lay in the centre of Skyrim and because of this position it would be one of the first cities to know anything about events that would occur, even in the far corners of the other Holds.

"Right… so we get there and start questioning people?" Marcus had asked.

"No…. the exact opposite." Tarrion explained. "If we start questioning everyone we can either start a panic for fear of a new rebellion, or we give away that we are looking for them, or we might entice people to join them."

He had shaken his head. "No. We ask only the people who might know something. No-one else."

Marcus rode at the head of the group, with Elaine riding right behind him. She decided to leave the carriages behind, and had donned regular clothing so as not to arouse more suspicion than necessary. The soldiers, ten in total rode behind her and Tarrion and Serana closed the ranks in the back. They talked little, and when they did it was softly, making sure the soldiers would not hear them.

"It seems another adventure awaits us." Serana joked and Tarrion chuckled.

"Yes… but let's hope we stay out of any dwemer ruins."

"You still hate them?"

"I hated the first one I've been in, and I hated the last one I've been in and each and every one of them in between."

"Hmm… Maybe we can trick Marcus into one of them." Serana whispered with a smirk. "Nobody will find out."

"You still hold a grudge against him, don't you?" Tarrion smirked back.

"Of course I do. You heard what he called me. 'Pale squeeze'… I'd like to see how pale he gets when I squeeze his throat out."

"You know I would love to see that, and I would let you have all the fun…. But I must ask you not to…."

"Not now." he added with a smile.

Serana chuckled and steered her horse a bit closer. "I was actually more worried about Elaine."

Tarrion gave her a confused look. "How so?"

"Well, when she saw you and recognized you… and you recognized her… both of you whispering each other's name…. for a moment I feared she was an old girlfriend of yours. Because that would complicate things."

Tarrion wasn't sure what she meant by that. "How would that complicate things?"

"Well… it is never a good sign if you're about to marry someone… and suddenly an old flame of theirs shows up. Have you ever heard of a story where that happens and it has a happy ending?"

"I… don't think I have ever heard of a story where that happens."

"Exactly! Nobody likes those stories so nobody ever tells them."

"I see…" Tarrion smirked. "Well, don't worry. Even if all my old flames would show up… it wouldn't change a thing."

"'All your old flames'?" Serana blurted out a bit louder than she meant, and two guards turned their heads.

* * *

After a several day journey that took them through Riverwood, they arrived at Whiterun. Tarrion tried to persuade the guards to leave their Imperial uniform behind, pointing out it would only arouse more suspicion, but they refused.

"Fine then…. But then you go straight to the Jarl. Serana and I will ask around town. They know me and will be willing to talk to me."

Elaine had agreed with this and while she and her escort left for Dragonsreach, Serana and Tarrion walked to the Warmaidens smithy. There they saw Adrianne hammering on some plate-armour. Her bronze skin was glistening with sweat from both the heat of the forge and the effort of hammering down on the steel plates.

"Adrianne."

The Imperial woman looked up and smiled when she saw the two approaching.

"Tarrion.. Serana. Hello. How are you?"

"We're both fine, thank you." Serana answered with a smile.

"It has been a while since I've seen you, thane." Adrianne responded, and with a sly smirk she looked at the two. "You two have taken to yourselves in Falkreath?"

"Ahem… yes." Tarrion said with a cough. "We decided to spend some time alone."

"I bet you did."

"Anyway…" he interrupted her. "how are you? Business going well I hope?"

"Ah same old, same old." Adrianne sighed. "A small purchase here, a few repairs there. Sometimes a special order, but nothing too crazy. People tend to ask Eorlund for the really difficult stuff, but Ulfberth and I get by just fine."

"So nothing new? No strange and large orders?" Tarrion asked as subtle as he could.

"No, not real-, well… acutally."

Her gaze went to Tarrion with a look like she tried to remember something. Tarrion immediately listened closely.

"There was this one guy…. A few weeks ago he tried to convince me to give him some arms. I don't exactly remember him, but he was shady. Wore a hood like he didn't want to be recognized. He requested several of our weapons and armour. For free no less!"

"The nerve." Serana remarked.

"I know. I quickly kicked him to the curb, and I never saw him again."

"Did you remember what he looked like? A bandit?"

Adrianne tried to remember what the man looked like and stared into the fire of the forge for a few moments. "No… not a bandit. If he was, the guards wouldn't have let him in. He did seem like one, though. He wore some kind of rag-tag armour…. but his face was shaven. I don't see bandits do that. Oh, and he wore a cape."

She stared into the fire for another two seconds before shaking her head. "I don't know. Maybe he was a bandit, or…. I don't know. It was a few weeks ago and I never saw him again."

Adrianne knew nothing more, and after they had greeted Ulfberth as well, Tarrion and Serana left for Breezehome. It lay fairly close to the smithy, something that Serana wasn't too fond of. Adrianne would wake up every morning before the sun was up, and would start hammering the armour at the crack of dawn, causing Serana to wake up whenever they stayed in Whiterun.

When nearing Breezehome Serana looked up to the first floor window.

"Lydia is home." she said quaintly a she looked up. "And she's not alone."

Tarrion looked at her. "How do you know?"

"I can sense her."

But when Tarrion grabbed the door, Serana tried to stop him.

"No, wait." but she was too late. Tarrion froze with the door half open and they heard the noises that came from upstairs.

Tarrion was lucky enough not to hear everything, but Serana, with her Vampriric senses, was able to hear everything. She heard a bed creaking under movement, a sound she recognized immediately from her countless nights of passion with Tarrion. She heard moans and grunts. The sound of two people with their lips and tongues intertwined. She heard soft voices saying only syllables of words and other lewd noises.

"Shut the door… shut the door!" she whispered to Tarrion, and he had also heard enough to understand why. Quickly and quietly he closed the door to shut the two lovers out and looked at Serana and both were frozen.

"So this is what Rayya feels half the time?" he asked after a while.

"I guess." Serana responded plainly, before she held her hand over her mouth and started snickering.

"Oops." she said quietly between two laughs and Tarrion chuckled as well.

"Let's eh…. Let's go…. Somewhere else."

Serana subconsciously sensed Lydia, even when trying not to, and the two quickly left for the Bannered Mare on the far end of town. Neither of them said anything, but silently agreed not to talk about it and Tarrion walked up to Hulda, the innkeeper.

As the innkeeper, Hulda would be one of the first to hear anything about anything. Whether they were rumours, gossip or even hints of stories, she was likely the one to talk to. But Tarrion had no luck, as she hadn't heard anything about a possible growing unrest. Seeing as no-one seemed to have any solid leads, the two decided to go to Dragonsreach and join Elaine and the soldiers.

As they walked through the market and uphill to Dragonsreach, Tarrion decided to also visit the Companions.

"I need to check on them anyway, and maybe they know something. With the jobs that we have to do in all of Skyrim, they might have heard more."

Under the Gildergreen, the large tree that overlooked the Wind District, they saw Carlotta Valentina, resting on one of the benches. While Tarrion left for the Companions, Serana walked to her.

"Good afternoon, Carlotta." Serana happily said and came sitting next to her.

"Good afternoon, Serana." she responded. Her voice was a bit down, and her face was not as radiant as always. "How are you?"

"I'm good, more than good." and Serana meant this. "But…. How about you? You seem a bit down."

Serana looked with concern at her friend, and Carlotta stared at the steps that lead down to the marketplace.

"Don't worry about me…. It's just that a number of Imperial Soldiers came by."

"And?"

"Ugh… it's just." Carlotta started with a sigh. "One of them… I guess their leader… asked me where they could find Dragonsreach."

Serana raised her eyebrow. "It's just up the hill…. You can't miss it."

"Exactly… it was that, and the way he asked. 'Pardon me, milady. May I ask a beauty as you a question?'… it was a bit too obvious what he tried. And he was hardly making eye-contact. He almost looked cross-eyed as he tried to ogle both my chest and rear. And his men weren't that different."

Serana had heard how Carlotta was often regarded as the most beautiful woman of Whiterun, maybe even all of Skryim, with numerous men having proposed to her, and others fighting over her. Her flawless skin, soft brown hair and striking, clear brown eyes made even Serana admit that she was indeed a beauty.

" _If you had a septim for every honeyed word…_ " Serana smiled.

"… I could buy Dragonsreach by now." Carlotta sighed.

"This man that ogled you…" Serana asked. "what did he look like? Imperial?"

"Yes." Carlotta nodded.

"Long flowing hair behind his head."

"Yes."

Serana nodded. "Marcus. He is of the Penitus Oculatus."

"You know him?" Carlotta asked astounded.

"Unfortunately, yes. He showed up last week at our house in Falkreath. He demanded our co-orporation… in our own home. He called me a 'squeeze'."

Carlotta snorted. "Ass. I think I'm starting to agree with Ahlam. ' _Men are all alike, from Skyrim to Hammerfell._ '"

"Hmm…. I'd beg to differ."

"Yes… but you got lucky because you strung Tarrion."

"I 'strung' him?"

"Yes…. He is one of the only men around town that never made an advance toward me. He even helped me get rid of one. There was a moment when I even thought he wasn't interested in women. But I guess he was just trying to find the right one."

"Hmm…" Serana nodded and gave her a sly smirk. "So when men show interest in you… you complain how all men are the same. But when one doesn't show interest in you… you think he might not be interested at all."

Carlotta let out a clear laugh. "Stop using my own words against me."

While Serana chatted with Carlotta, Tarrion found himself in the main hall of Jorrvaskr. The roaring fire in the centre of the room and the long tables around it always gave a warm and welcoming feeling to anyone who stepped in. Just like the first time when Tarrion walked into the hall, looking to join the Companions all those years ago, Njada and Athis had a fist fight with each other, one that Athis was destined to lose as Tarrion had learned. Farkas and Vilkas sat opposite each other in an arm-wrestling match, one that Vilkas was destined to lose. Dar'Hisa, the Khajiit that had joined, sat in front of the fire warming himself after what seemed like a long hunt, because his fur and whiskers were dirty and smudged. Ria was nowhere to be found, but Tarrion heard voices coming from behind the hall and assumed she was training the other Companions. Aela sat alone in a corner, quietly meditating, and Tarrion walked up to her. Before he even announced himself Aela took a breath through her nose and smiled.

"Afternoon, Harbinger." she said without even opening her eyes.

"You can smell me?" Tarrion asked half amused.

She nodded. "Yes… your blood has a peculiar smell to it….. but you also stink a little."

"Thanks." Tarrion said stoically.

"You're welcome…." Aela smiled, and she opened her eyes and looked at Tarrion as he took a seat next to her. "What has brought you here?"

He took his time with his answer. He knew he could trust Aela to be discreet and reliable, yet he wasn't sure if he would tell her the whole story, including his sister.

"Trouble." he eventually answered.

"What else?"

"Not that kind of trouble." he remarked. "This is a bit more serious than a few rogue bandits. I came here to see if you may have heard of anything."

"Heard anything of what?"

"A possible new rebellion."

Aela nearly swallowed her tongue when she heard that, and her brown eyes were wide open in shock, and Tarrion raised his hand to keep her quiet just in time.

"Not too loud, alright? There are only unconfirmed rumours… yet they are persistent enough for me to worry."

Aela looked at him with a gaze that Tarrion immediately recognized. Aela was solitary, but smart and she could see when a person was not telling the whole truth or the whole story. Naturally she asked him about it.

"Last week the Empire arrived on my doorstep." Tarrion explained. "The Penitus Oculatus. The Emperor's guard. They seem to be under the impression that a possible new rebellion is brewing in Skyrim and want to get rid of it before anything escalates. I, of course, had to help them since they are strangers here and need my help. But I cannot start looking in every corner of Skyrim. There are plenty of places to hide, and some are almost impossible to reach. So… I'd like to ask you if you heard anything on your travels? Maybe a contract that lead you somewhere and you heard anything suspicious?"

Aela thought for a few moments until she shook her head, causing her brown hair to wave to the sides. "I haven't heard anything… but we all have become a little lazy."

"How so?"

"Well, there is less to do." Aela explained. "The bandits are less bold than they were during the Civil War… the only things that we get a contract on are a few rabid predators, a person that needs a kick in his ass or one giant that strays too close to a town. That is it. We take almost any contract we can get by now."

Tarrion chuckled when he saw her face. "You almost sound like you don't like the peace that we have."

"No, that's not it. It's just that I get restless. I want something to hunt, something to do… and for now the thing I do the most is make sure the younglings don't get themselves killed. And make sure Azzar doesn't sneak off to Lydia half the time."

Tarrion turned his head so fast it hurt his neck, and Aela quickly realized she said something she may or may not should have.

"Azzar is seeing Lydia?" Tarrion asked a bit louder than he intended. "Since when?"

Azzar was the Reguard man that had joined the companions over half a year ago. Tarrion had seen in him a honourable spirit and a thirst for battle. When sparring with Vilkas he showed himself to be a fairly good fighter. Although he did not stand a chance against him in combat at that time, he showed a talent for fighting and quickly became quite a challenge for Vilkas. But Tarrion had no idea that he had been seeing Lydia.

"Since a few months ago." Aela said, and she felt a little awkward talking about it. "I saw them once when I came back from a hunt. I didn't ask him about it since it is not my business, but I did catch him trying to sneak away to see her a week or two ago."

On that moment the doors to the hall opened and a Reguard walked in. He had a wide smile on his face and jovially greeted the Khajiit.

"Speak of the daedra." Alea smirked and she noticed his mood. "He seems a bit too happy."

"Mhm." Tarrion mumbled.

He was Redguard, and thus his skin was dark, just like Rayya's. He had deep, brown eyes and a clean shaven head. He had a similar build to Tarrion, yet was a several inches smaller than him, and not as broad. He did have two golden ear-rings in his left ear, and on his shoulder he had already recieved a small scar from a wolf. His armor was typical for a Redguard, with it being mostly leather with reinforced gloves and boots, but when most Redguard warriors would wear a truban of some kind, Azzar wore a hood.

Azzar smilingly turned his head but when he saw Tarrion sitting next to Aela, his face changed rapidly.

"Ohh… you're in trouble now." Aela whispered as she looked at Azzar and she stood up. "I'll leave you to him." and left.

Azzar and Tarrion looked at each other for a few moments, until Tarrion nodded at the chair Aela just left. The Redguard hesitantly took a seat next to the Harbinger while making little eye contact.

Tarrion kept silent for now, only increasing the tension that Azzar was feeling, and still he refused to look at him.

"Is this how you act in front of the Harbinger?" Tarrion asked. "Because if do, you're not the right man for Lydia."

Azzar looked at him. "So…. You know." and Tarrion nodded.

"Come on…. Man up. Straighten your back and face me like a man."

Tarrion smirked slightly, and Azzar seemed to be at ease for now, seeing he wouldn't be killed just yet.

"Well…. Yes." he started. "Lydia and I have fallen in love."

"I do hope you approve." he added hesitantly.

"Do I approve?" Tarrion asked astounded. "I don't. I don't think you're man enough for her… but you don't have to prove that to me. You'll have to prove that to her. And if she loves you and 'approves', than I have nothing to say."

Azzar was surprised by this and looked at the Harbinger and his dark eyes were confused. "But…. You're her Thane…. I thought…"

"I am her thane, true… but I am her friend first." Tarrion interrupted him. "That means that I care a lot about her, and I know her… and with that in mind I will tell you one thing; Know full well what kind of woman she is. Because if you break her heart…. I will be the least of your problems."

After leaving Azzar half confused and half happy, he pulled Serana away from Carlotta who were clearly gossiping about who knows what and they left for Dragonsreach. There Elaine and the soldiers were waiting for him to show up. They had explained everything to the Jarl already, but Balgruuf preferred to wait until Tarrion could also explain it, before deciding whether or not to help.

"Ah, Tarrion. Finally." The Jarl said as Tarrion approached the throne. "These Imperials seem to think that a new rebellion is rising?"

Jarl Balgruuf had always been direct and had little time, or patience, for fancy words and royal pish-posh. His chin was adorned with a greying beard, yet his cheeks and jaws were shaven. His blonde hair also slowly turned grey as time passed, yet a young fire was still in his eyes.

Next to him stood Proventus Avenicci, the Jarl's steward and adviser. He was Imperial and Adrianne's father. A good man at heart, yet still rusty when it came to understanding the Nord way of life.

On the left side of the jarl stood Irileth, his housecarl, bodyguard and lifelong friend. As a Dunmer she was likely far older than anyone in the room, save Serana but she did not know that, and she had long years of training and experience under her belt. Her eyes were red and looked with a cautious suspicion at the entourage that Elaine had brought.

"So, Tarrion. Explain. What is going on here, and how did you get involved?"

"Yes, jarl." Tarrion obediently said and he made a slight bow with his head. "It indeed seems that there are people in the Empire's higher circles that believe that a new rebellion is brewing in Skyrim. Although there has yet to be any evidence to such claims, they are worried nonetheless. Last week Lady Elaine and her escort showed up at my doorstep in Falkreath Hold. She requested my assistance with this matter… and seeing as I still am a protector of Skyrim and its people, I chose caution over cynicism. I don't know if there is a rebellion brewing again, and I hope that these claims are false… but if they're not, something must be done."

Tarrion spoke with reverence and respect, despite that he fought beside Balgruuf and they considered each other friends. Yet in the presence of others he was Balgruuf's inferior, and thus had to show respect.

"Hmm…." the Jarl grumbled. "I see. Yet why do you show up at my doorstep?"

"We were hoping you may have heard something, Jarl. If there indeed is a new rebellion brewing, Whiterun would be one of the first to know. It lies in the centre of Skyrim… we were hoping that, if there is any information to be had… you may have it."

Balgruuf waited with his answer and thought about what Tarrion said before turning to Proventus.

"Proventus… have you heard anything that would indicate this? A new rebellion?"

"No, my lord." was the answer. "I have not heard anything."

"Irileth?"

But she said the same and had not heard anything.

"It seems no-one here knows about this." Balgruuf answered and he turned himself to Elaine. "Lady Elaine… I hope you are not wasting your time here. What reason do your superiors have for believing that there is a rebellion brewing in Skyrim? Are they sure it is not just paranoia?"

"I believe they are cautious, jarl." Elaine said carefully. "The last thing they want… and I think we can all agree on this… is another rebellion like the last one. Skyrim has been through much already, and it would be best for the people of Skyrim… and for the Empire… that we remain vigilant and cautious."

Tarrion looked at Balgruuf to see what his answer would be, but then he saw Irileth make a slight move. She nodded at him and as subtle as she could tried to give him a sign. With her eyes she pointed him at the staircases that lead upstairs.

"My jarl…" Tarrion said quickly. "If I may… I'd like to take a look at the maps. Just to make sure we don't miss anything. To see if there are any forts that may have been weakened enough for a potential rebel group to take."

The Jarl was clearly a bit surprised by this, but nodded and Tarrion left for the stairs that lead upstairs to a large room with maps of Skyrim. Irileth asked to help him and Balgruuf nodded and she quickly followed him upstairs while Serana was forced to stay behind.

"What is it?"

But Irileth gestured him to follow her upstairs. They entered a large room with in the centre a large table with the map of Skyrim. Small flags dotted the parchment indicating the forts that dotted the landscape of Skyrim, while the larger ones pointed at the capitals of the nine holds.

"What is it, Irileth?"

She sighed and looked down for a few seconds, and he saw that she wasn't sure how she should say it.

"You're here to investigate rumours…. And I might… 'might'.. have some."

"What do you mean?" Tarrion asked her.

Irileth leaned on the large table and looked at the map. "I mean I have heard of a few rumours… small stories here and there that might be what you are looking for. A month ago I heard that a few rebels had taken up residence in Fort Sungard, to the west of here." and she pointed at a small flag on the map. "They were only rumours and I figured that they were only bandits…. But now…"

Tarrion saw a blush on her Bosmer-face, and she clearly didn't like the situation.

"Why haven't you told the Jarl about this?" he asked.

"Because they were only rumours." she whispered loudly back, and she stared at him. "I don't want to waste Balgruuf's time with old-wives tales. And I couldn't tell you downstairs either. What was I supposed to do? Tell the Jarl that there might indeed be a new rebellion brewing and I've been sitting on that information for over a month?"

Tarrion did not answer that, and instead looked at the small flag that Irileth had pointed at. Fort Sungard. He had been there once and he knew that it was a fort that could be extremely well defended. Positioned on a high hill, possibly with barricades blocking the road to the main gate, it would take an army to take it, even if only a handful would defend it.

But he also knew that it had one weakness. There was a secret entrance to the side of the fort, hewn into the side of the rocky hills and a secret passage that lead into the heart of the fort.

He sighed. "Fort Sungard it is then."

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

So... Lydia also seems to have found someone to spend her time with. I always thought she deserved as much. In the game you don't see anything of the personal lives your housecarls live while you're off killing dragons, so i decided to give her also a little romance of her own.

As for Tarrion's family... the plot thickens. It seems there might be some truth to these rumours of rebellion after all. Let's hope he can diffuse everything before it escalates


	39. Blood Runs Deep 5

**Blood Runs Deep part 5**

With the sun slowly rising over the plains of Whiterun Hold and nature wakening again, the company journeyed further westward. Each morning they woke early and at night they slept before the sun had fully set. Serana was clearly not happy with this routine and preferred to stay up late and sleep in late, but given the situation she had little choice. While still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes she mounted her horse and rode next to Tarrion at the end of the column. He was a bit more used to this way of life and was wide awake.

"Sleepy?" he asked with a smile.

"Y…yes," she yawned back and whispered. "I'm more fond of the night."

"I know…. But with the ring you should be fine, right?"

Serana smirked and looked at the ring. It was still the same beautiful ring that Tarrion had given her in Ancestor Glade. Black ebony as the band, with tiny shards of sapphire spelling the words 'Dii Lokaal'…. 'My love'. It was enchanted in such a way that it gave her more resilience to the sun. Although the light still blinded her a bit, it did not burn her and it did not char her skin. She felt strange during the first day, but as she got more used to it, she started to love it more and more. She was now able to walk in the sunlight next to Tarrion without fear or pain. She would wake up with the light on her face and feel pleasantly warm. The warmth of the sun would warm her up, both outside and inside and the feeling would seep into her heart and she would hug her beloved, trying to feel his warmth too.

"That is not what I meant," she whispered. "Sure… I prefer the night in that way…. But there are many things you could do in the night."

"You can't do them during the day?" he asked, although he knew well what she meant.

"You can… of course…. But in the night they're more exciting."

From the front of the column a rider approached them.

"My thane… we're nearing the fort. I can see it in the distance."

"How far do you reckon?" he asked her.

"About half a day…. I can only see the peak of the highest tower," was her answer.

"Good…" Tarrion said to himself and he thought about what to do next. "It would be best if they don't know we're coming for them. If they see us… so be it, but then they also need to see us go."

He scratched his chin. "We should pretend that we're going to Falkreath. Then camp behind the hills. We can disappear in the forest and camp fairly close by, without being seen."

"Shouldn't we wait for the cover of darkness?" Serana asked.

"We should…" he nodded. "but if we arrive to early, we can use that as a cover. 'We're just travellers that want to go to Falkreath', nothing else. But you're right, we should slow our pace a bit and see if we can't get there after dark."

"I'll tell lady Elaine," Lydia said and she rode off to the front of the column.

When she had heard that Tarrion and Serana were in Whiterun she immediately went to see them, and without needing any convincing she agreed to help. Not only because she wanted to protect her thane, and it was her duty, but also because she wanted to end any possible rebellion before it starts. She also fought in the Civil War during several battles, including the Battle for Whiterun, where she managed to execute a surprise attack with a small battalion of guards into the flanks of the advancing Stormcloaks. Without that, the battle would have ended a lot bloodier than it did.

Those memories were burned into her mind, and she would do anything to prevent a war like that from happening again.

A battalion of soldiers from Whiterun had come with her and the company had grown from a strong escort, into a small force.

With Lydia now riding next to Tarrion and Serana, the sun started to set and they were nearing Fort Sungard. As Tarrion suggested they took a road southward that lead to Falkreath and quickly moved away from the path to make camp behind the hills, out of sight of the fort.

Small tents were being set up, and Tarrion stood a bit away from the others and looked at the darkening skies. He was lost in deep thought when Serana came standing next to him and squeezed his arm.

"You know…. I really hate it when I see you like this."

"Hmm?"

She smiled at him. Her eyes softly glowing in the dark, but only he could see it. The others were not paying attention to her or were busy. Her eyes looked at him and he saw strength in them. The same type of strength that she always saw in him.

"You're lost in thought again…. I hate to see you like that."

"How so?"

She took a deep breath through her nose and smelled the night air. "It almost always means that trouble is brewing. Or that something is about to happen that will affect us. You were lost in thought before the attack on Castle Volkihar…. You were lost in thought before we had to part ways and I went to Morthal… Stop trying to figure things out on your own…. Tell me. I'm here for these moments too, and I want to be there for you."

Tarrion smiled when he heard her concern and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I just hope that my sister is not in there," he sighed. "I hope that all this is just paranoia from Cyrodill and we can all rest easy after this. When we sneak in the fortress, I hope we will only see bandits. I hope Irileth was wrong, I hope Elaine was wrong…. But I have a bad feeling. A feeling of dread."

"Maybe you're starting to get paranoid as well," Serana pointed out.

"Maybe," Tarrion answered. "But I think I have enough reason to be worried. Skyrim has seen more than enough trouble already… and more than enough bloodshed. I would do anything to prevent that from happening again."

"I know," Serana answered with a smile. She stood on her toes and gave him a kiss on his jaw. "The people are lucky to have you as their protector."

* * *

With the night having fallen, Serana and Tarrion snuck closer to the fortress. Marcus had desperately tried to come with them, but when Tarrion pointed out that an Imperial would be of no benefit to anyone, and would likely cause the everyone in the fort to attack before asking questions, the others agreed it was better for Tarrion and Serana to go alone.

The two approached the fort from the south, where the rocky cliffs were the highest… but it was here that Tarrion knew there was a secret entrance, a tunnel that lead into the fort. He hoped that it had gone undiscovered, but he was prepared for the worst. Serana guided him through the night and relying on her sight, and his smell, they found a small crack in the rocks, hardly visible if you weren't looking. But Serana's vampiric eyes were able to see it without much effort.

"You'll have to lead," he whispered to her. "watch out that we don't get spotted or make too much noise."

She nodded and lead him through the crevice, into a dark tunnel.

After a little while, Tarrion stopped Serana.

"Just a moment," he whispered.

LAAS YAH NIR

The Shout was a whisper that was only heard by them, and Tarrion could sense the presence of any living thing close to him. A small Frostbite spider was hiding in a small corner somewhere, and far above him he sensed humans walking.

"Nobody close," he whispered, and the two continued through the tunnel and started to climb up.

After a few more small crevices and Tarrion squeezing himself through, they arrived at a grate. A small stream of water leaked from it and an oozy smell came from it.

"Ugh," Serana said when she smelled it. "This is where they relieve themselves."

"I never said the place would smell like flowers," Tarrion whispered back. "Go… you first."

After removing the grate he helped her through the opening.

"Do you see anyone?"

"No," she whispered back. "Come… it's safe."

Trying to push himself through the opening proved more difficult than last time, and Serana had to grab his arms and pull him out before he would get stuck.

"You could do with losing a few pounds."

"I'm broad… not fat."

"You know who uses that excuse? Fat people."

With a last pull, Serana was able to get him out, but immediately pushed him down.

"Shh…" she said and pointed to their right.

Tarrion looked and saw indeed a door standing ajar and a small glow came from the room. slowly they approached the door and they could hear two voices talking.

"Nah… they moved on. Southward."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Kullan saw them heading south."

"Hmm…. I'm still wondering why they're here."

"Probably some noble in need of an escort. Whoever it was, we cannot do anything about it. There were too many."

"Still…. At night, it might be a good thing to attack them when all are asleep."

Tarrion and Serana knew that the two were talking about the small force that was now hidden behind the hills to the south.

With silent hand-gestures did Tarrion made clear to Serana to become invisible and hide behind one of them, and he would do the same and hide behind the other. The two made themselves invisible and snuck through the doorway and both hid behind one of the two.

After two hard, but quiet, thumps the two men fell unconscious and Tarrion pushed them into a chair and it looked like they were sleeping.

"Good," Serana whispered and her eyes glowed exited in the dark. "Now look for the leader of these men?"

Tarrion nodded and he moved ahead, up a staircase and further into the fort.

After a few dark corridors, dimly lit only by candles and torches, the two found a large hall and judging by the noise coming from it, it was filled with people. Carefully they snuck closer and both cast an Invisibility spell again and pushed the door open.

The room was large, with elevated areas by the walls and the centre a bit lower. Large pillars held up the stone ceiling and a number of chandeliers hung down and bathed the room in the light of a hundred candles. Over two dozen men and women were gathered there and each of them looked with a fire in their eyes at the woman in the centre of the room. She stood on a long table with an axe in her hand and a long grey cloak hung over her shoulders.

She gave off an intimidating and powerful impression. Her armour was made from reinforced steel plates, but her arms were mostly clad in leather and fur. Her shins and feet were covered in plated boots and she wore no helmet. Her hair was long and brown and hung in a single braid over her back. One side of her face covered in war paint. Even from where Tarrion stood, he could see the image that was painted on her face. An image of a bear.

"….And so we shall!" the woman shouted. Her voice was clear and strong and the people cheered and shouted back. "The Empire cannot hide for long behind their so called 'White Gold Concordat'. A simple lie and a trick that they hide behind to prevent people from finding out what they really are…. COWARDS!"

The people shouted and cheered again. Tarrion and Serana hid in a dark corner away from the shouting crowd when their invisibility spell wore off. The woman proceeded to rouse the men and women more and more with her words while Tarrion whispered to Serana; "I have a plan."

"We will bring the fight to the Elves," the woman continued. "They will not see rest until Skyrim belongs to us again! For to whom does Skyrim belong?"

"TO THE NORDS!" the men and women shouted.

"What of the Dragonborn?" one voice said.

Everyone turned their heads toward the one that spoke and saw how Serana stood beside one of the pillars.

"What?" the woman on the table asked.

"What of the Dragonborn?" Serana asked again. "I hear he fights with the Empire."

"Yes! What of him?" another voice said, and everyone turned their heads toward Tarrion, who came walking down the steps that lead to the central area. "I have heard he fought against Ulfric Stormcloak. He is not fond of rebels, and he might come for us."

The room was quiet now and slowly people started to whisper to each other.

"That is true."

"I forgot about him."

"He has a point."

The woman in the centre looked from Tarrion to the men and women gathered. "Ach! One man? We can deal with him. Even if he comes for us, he cannot defeat us all."

"Maybe," Tarrion continued as he walked down the steps. "But even if you manage to defeat him, what will that mean? How many of us will be killed in a direct assault on him? Five? Ten? Twenty? A hundred? He faced down Dragons, and even Alduin himself. None of us is a match for him, and even if he dies… then what? That will not be a victory, because not only will we have weakened Skyrim and its people, but we will also turn the hatred of everyone against us. The Dragonborn is immensely popular, more popular than Ulfric ever was. His friends love him dearly and would rather die themselves than loose him."

The more and more Tarrion spoke, the more and more the people started to doubt. They heard him and knew that he spoke the truth. And Serana noticed it and smiled. She knew what he was about to do, and saw how he first played everyone and made them doubt, made them calm down and think first.

"But there is no need to attack the Dragonborn. In fact… he is not your enemy. I know that he wants to talk to all of you. Would it not be wise to first hear what he has to say?"

"And what do you think will happen?" the woman asked. "We simply walk out of here and talk to him? That is a trap! He fights with the Empire and they all want us dead. Make no mistake my brothers and sisters, this is a ruse. A trick. A lie!"

But Tarrion chuckled calmly. "It is no trick, or a lie. He is here among you right now."

Immediately a small panic started and everyone started to look at everyone to see if one might act strangely. Then they looked at Tarrion again and he stepped next to the table. " _Zu'u los Dovahkiin,_ " he said. "I am the Dragonborn."

The woman stepped backwards to the end of the table and everyone looked with shock at Tarrion, except Serana who smiled.

"I am the Dragonborn," Tarrion said. "But do not fear. I am only here to talk. Nothing more."

Everyone was quiet now and all looked at Tarrion. Even the woman was shocked when she heard the power that came from his voice when he spoke in the Dragon Tongue. She did not know what to say with him standing so close to her. Tarrion could see a hint of fear in her eyes, yet there was also anger, and he saw more of it in the eyes of the people watching. He raised his hand to calm them.

"I only wish to talk. Nothing more."

"No!" the woman shouted. "You wish to poison our minds with your words. You wish to break us before we start. You want to banish the worship of Mighty Talos from Skyrim."

But a few men shouted from the crowd. "Let him speak."

The woman clearly wanted to lecture them, but stepped from the table. Tarrion did not take her place, but stayed beside it.

"I do not want to poison your minds. I will simply give you an offer and advice…. What you do with it is up to all of you."

He took a deep breath, hoping he would pick the right words.

"I know you want to free Skyrim. I know you want to fight the Thalmor, and I do not blame you for this. I know you want to worship Talos, and I would let you. You have nothing to fear from me in that regard. I am not a Thalmor agent, nor a puppet for the Empire. I do not enforce their will in Skyrim, I only fight for my own reasons. And those reasons are the same as yours. I wish to fight for my people, for the land, but most of all…. For the ones that I hold dear. For the ones that I love."

He took a deep breath and continued. "There is only one difference between us. I know that this fight cannot be won by rebelling against the Empire or the Thalmor. They are too strong."

"You fought for the Empire, against Ulfric," a woman shouted. "Yet here you say that you are against them?"

"I fought against Ulfric, because he was arrogant and selfish," Tarrion answered, and immediately a few men and women wanted to protest, but he raised his hands again to calm them. "Ulfric only wanted to become High King, but he failed to see the consequences of his actions. If he would have won the war, and Skyrim would have become independent… then what? The entire Empire would march on us to reclaim it. The Thalmor would come with their armies and wipe us all out. Ulfric would have won one war, but pay the ultimate price; The destruction of Skyrim as a whole. I fought against him because it was the only way to quickly bring peace again. I fight for the people that I care about, because they would not survive a war against the entire Empire. I want to live in peace with the woman I love. To live in peace in a place that I can call home, with a beautiful wife, start a family…. To just be at peace…. Is that not what we all want? Rebelling is not the answer. I care little for politics. I do not care if you worship Talos or not, but I am against a rebellion that puts us all at risk."

"So you will fight against us?" a man asked.

"I will," he answered. "but not because of what you believe in. Not because you want to worship Talos and not because you hate the Thalmor. I am not their agent or their enforcer. But I am a guardian of Skyrim, and a protector of its people… and if you and your rebellion, and your precious Talos, puts them in danger… I will fight against you."

He let those final words sink in and there was no-one in the room that said anything. Even the leader now looked at him, but she seemed to be seething with anger.

"I advise you all to go home," Tarrion continued. "Go home. Go to your wives, your husbands. Your mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. Go home. No war is worth one man's ambition. Nor is it right to choose war over the warmth of your own hearth. Worship Talos if you must, but do so in secret. Right now it is forbidden to do so, and only a fool will put his own friends and family in danger over it. No god chooses rituals and prayers over a good heart…. Only the daedra do that. Go home…. Live your life… and live in peace."

He took a last deep breath, and he tried to pour all his hope in his last words. "At dawn… I hope you will agree to leave. No-one will chase you or follow you. You will all be free to go."

Tarrion had said all he wanted to say, and with Serana next to him he left. The two did not sneak out the same way they came, but instead left the hall and walked out of the main gate and down the hill.

"What do you think they'll do?" Serana asked.

"The right thing I hope," he answered. "I hope they will see the folly of their quest and the hopelessness of it. They cannot win this, so why put all of Skyrim at war?"

"People do unimaginable things, if they believe that their cause is right," Serana answered. "Even if it draws too much attention to them… even if their friends are at danger because of it…. Even if their own family will be torn apart by it…. If they believe in their cause, they will stop at nothing."

Tarrion saw that she was aiming at Harkon and his quest. A quest that lead to so much suffering for both his wife and his daughter. He took her hand and gave it a slight squeeze.

"I know…. Let us hope that these men and women will not make the same mistake."

* * *

At the camp they were immediately questioned by Marcus.

"How many are there? What are their weaknesses? Can we breach the fort? Are they well-armed and well equipped? Can they withstand a siege?"

Tarrion gave a quick report, but made clear that he had no intention of attacking.

"They have until dawn, and if they come out… we let them go."

"WHAT?!" Marcus had yelled. "THEY ARE REBELS AND TRAITORS AND WILL DIE ACCORDINGLY!"

"Carefull, Septor!" Tarrion had shouted back. "You may be a commander of the Penitus Oculatus, but I am still the thane of this hold, and here you will listen to my command! Your duty is to safeguard the emperor, but he is not here. We will allow the men and women to go home if they so choose, and that is final!"

After a short but fairly loud discussion with the Septor, Elaine calmed them both down and she took him aside.

"Have you seen anything of our sister? Have you learned anything about her?"

The concern was clear in her eyes, yet Tarrion shook his head.

"No…. but that can mean too many different things to be sure. I do not know where she is, but she might not be in Skyrim at all. It is impossible to know now."

After many hours, dawn finally came. The soldiers had moved their camp near the road that lead from the main gate of fort Sungard to make sure that they were seen. Movement could be seen on the battlements and above the gate, but it seemed that no-one was ready to leave.

"What are they waiting for?" Marcus asked angrily. "We gave them a fair chance to go."

"They are unsure as to why we are here," Lydia pointed out correctly. "They don't know if we are here to only see them leave, or to ambush them."

Tarrion stood next to Serana as he looked up to the fort, and it seemed just as quiet up there as it was down here. Like neither side knew how it would turn out and waited for the other to make a move.

"Mhm…" he nodded in agreement with Lydia. "They want to know what we will do. I will go up there and talk to them."

"I'm right behind you," Serana said.

"And I too will follow," Lydia said sternly.

Together with Serana, Lydia, Elaine and Marcus, since he refused to let Tarrion do the talking by himself, did Tarrion walk up to the main gate until they stood below the battlements. Lydia and Marcus carried their swords, but Tarrion carried no weapon, as to show that he came in peace.

"Have you made a decision?" Tarrion asked loudly. "Will you go home in peace, or stay?"

No man or woman answered, and Tarrion could see the warrior woman pacing on the walls with a clear expression of rage on her face. He hoped that his words had overruled hers, and suddenly the gate opened.

Three women and two men walked toward the five that stood in front of the gate. They all carried either a sword and shield, or a large battle-axe. They all looked at the ground, until one of the women looked up.

"You spoke true," and her voice was calm and sad. Robbed of strength. "Even if we manage to free Skyrim of the Empire… we will not be able to hold it…. Not for long. We will only bring about more war and death."

She took the large battle-axe from her back and threw it at Tarrion's feet, yet he picked it back up and gave it back. "The road is dangerous…. Keep it."

A watery smile was on her face, and the other men and women nodded and they walked past them and left downhill.

"TRAITORS! WILL YOU LET SKYRIM BE RULED BY THE EMPIRE?"

The warrior woman now shouted from the walls at the group that left, yet they walked on and gave her no heed. Four more men walked through the gate and took off their helmets and left downhill.

"TRAITORS! MILKDRINKERS! COWARDS!"

The woman screamed on, yet the more she shouted and cursed them all to Oblivion, the more men and women left.

When four more women walked through the gate Elaine stopped them.

"Wait…. Wait…. I am looking for someone who could be among you. Do you know of a woman named Thalia? She is my height and build… with long brown hair and-…"

"deep brown eyes?"

A man walked through the gate and looked at Elaine, who nodded.

"You know her? Where is she?" Elaine asked franticly. "Tell me."

"Milady… who is this Thalia, and why is she of importance?" Marcus tried to ask, but Elaine ignored him and only looked at the man.

"She is no longer with us," he answered, and Tarrion felt his heart stop. The tone of the man said everything he feared.

"Forgive me, milady," the man continued, and Elaine realized it too. "She is dead. There was an ambush by the Forsworn near Blind Cliff Cave. We tried for supplies in Karthwasten but…."

But neither Tarrion or Elaine listened. She stumbled backwards and Lydia reached to help her. Tarrion felt his heart beat with a pain he had not felt before. Serana looked at him and saw a shadow of loss on his face as she took his hand.

"Oh, Tarrion…."

Elaine stumbled toward him and she had tears crawling down her face. Her eyes were red already as she hugged him, and he could hear her voice tremble.

"…. Our sister…. Our dear little sister…. If only we came sooner….. sister…. Forgive me for how we parted….. I wish I could….. dear, dear sister….."

Tarrion hugged her back and felt the same pain. He felt tears leaking from his eyes and he stared at the ground.

"Your sister died fighting for what she believed in!" a voice shouted. It was the warrior woman's voice again, but Tarrion and Elaine ignored her.

"And now so will you!"

Then too many things happened.

Serana shouted: "TARRION!"

Marcus yelled: "Milady!"

Lydia screamed. "My thane, watch out!"

Before Tarrion could even look up he heard the twang of a bowstring, the quick whistling of an arrow, he saw a blur of brown hair and an unsettling sound of an arrow piercing through armour.

Tarrion had not shouted, yet time slowed as he saw how Lydia had jumped in front of them and now fell to the ground. He saw how a dark arrow had pierced her armour and now stuck into her lower abdomen, right under where her navel would be. Elaine screamed as Tarrion pushed her away and kneeled next to Lydia.

"M….My thane…." she whispered as Tarrion cradled her head.

"Lydia…." he mumbled as he looked at the arrow. Serana immediately wanted to grab the arrow, but her hand froze right before she touched it. She brought her face close to it and looked at how blood poured from underneath Lydia's armour.

"Tarrion… we have to-…"

But she was interrupted by the sound of clashing swords. Marcus had run through the gate and now fought with the woman on the walls. He hacked into her shield, and she grazed his shoulder. But she seemed to strong a warrior for him to match, and it was clear she was overpowering him.

Then a different emotion entered Tarrion. After the loss he felt for Thalia, and after the fear he felt for Lydia's life…. He now felt rage fill him as he looked at how the woman screamed as her axe barely missed Marcus' face.

"Stay with her," he ordered Elaine and Serana and he walked through the gate and onto the walls.

There Marcus already lay on the ground. His left leg was severed and he coughed blood as the woman looked down on him.

"You filthy Imperial!" she shouted in a maniacal rage. "You will never set a foot in Skyrim again! Skyrim belongs to us! SKYRIM BELONGS TO THE NORDS!"

And with a scream from her, and a fountain of blood she drove her axe through Marcus' chest. The sounds of bones cracking and splintering was unsettling as Tarrion reached the walls above the gate. The woman turned around and yanked her axe from Marcus' body.

"Let's see how well you do without your weapons."

But Tarrion summoned a Bound Battle-axe, and before the fight had even begun it was over. She was no match for him, and with a single strike he chopped both her hands off. She screamed, but he was deaf to it. He grabbed her by her hair and dragged her to the courtyard were the few of the rebels that still remained were now gathered.

"KILL HIM YOU COWARDS!" she screamed at them, but none of them dared to move in the face of Tarrion's wrath. He threw her body over a stone, and before she could react, his axe was raised and came down and with a burst of blood, her head rolled away and her body fell limp on the floor.

The axe disappeared, but Tarrion's rage did not. He breathed heavily, and only when Serana shouted at him did he return to his senses.

"Tarrion!"

He quickly rushed over to the three women, and saw that the arrow was removed. Lydia's armour lay beside her, and Tarrion felt his stomach turn when he saw how the wound was blackened. Like a disease was spreading.

"Tarrion…" Serana looked at him and her face said that something was wrong. "This arrow was poisoned. We cannot close the wound."

"What?"

"We need to get the poison out first…. But we need a skilled healer to do so properly."

"… Danica…" Tarrion mumbled, and Serana nodded.

"We need to get her to Whiterun fast."

Without any effort he lifted Lydia's limp body up and with long strides he walked down the hill.

"Get my horse… quickly," he said and Serana ran away and came back with the large black horse that Tarrion always rode. He placed Lydia in front of his saddle and without saying a word he rode off toward Whiterun.

With the wind howling around him and the hooves of his horse sounding on the road he rode forth. Holding Lydia with one arm around her chest to keep her from falling and the reigns with the other he hastened onward. At first he could hear a few moans and whimpers coming from Lydia, but they grew ever fewer as time passed on, and before the night had fallen she stopped mumbling all together. Tarrion had cast a few healing spells on her body already, but they did not seem to help. She felt revitalized for only a few moments, but quickly fell unconscious again. Tarrion felt powerless. His spells did not work, and he could not make a good potion that could help her, or even just slow the poisoning. His only hope now ley in Whiterun.

Serana had caught up with them before long and rode next to them. Neither of them spoke as they were both trying to get to Whiterun as fast as possible. Eventually Serana shouted.

"Tarrion! We have to stop! The horses have to rest."

He ignored her at first, until he saw that they were indeed slowing down, and not much later he was forced to stop for the night. Lydia was now awake, but delirious and feverish. She mumbled a few words before blacking out, only to wake up again a few moments later. They lay her against a fallen tree, using their cloaks to support her head and cover her body. He made a small fire for warmth, but he kept pacing around as he could not rest. He asked Serana to look for blue mountain flowers, but he stayed with Lydia. He could not see in the dark whereas she could, and would be able to find them much better than him.

She found a few small flowers, and he mashed them together to a pulp. Carefully he removed the cloak from her abdomen and immediately smelled a stench. The wound had blackened more and her toned skin around it had become dead. With as much care as he could muster he placed the pulp around the wound, and immediately Lydia woke up and screamed.

"I'm sorry, Lydia," he said. "But this has to be done."

Tears rolled from his eyes and he saw tears in her eyes as well. A look of desperation was etched in her face and he whispered to her.

"I won't let you die…. Not here… not now. Not if I have anything to say about it."

The next day dawned and the three were already on the road to Whiterun. They had passed for Greymoor already and in the distance they could see the Western Watchtower. A few guards were posted on the walls and they could see them coming from the west in a storm of dust. Without slowing down the horses rushed past the bewildered guards and Whiterun was in sight. Tarrion could see the city walls and Dragonsreach looming in the distance, and a small spark of hope was in him. But Lydia was fading. Her head bobbed up and down under the rocking movements of the horse and she felt nothing of it. The poison was already ravaging her body, and Tarrion knew they had little time left.

* * *

"Step aside!"

Tarrion barged through the gatehouse and when a few guards greeted him, he ignored them and shouted. "Go to Danica Pure-Spring! Tell her to make a bed! NOW!"

Two of the guards were too surprized to move, but as soon as they saw Lydia's limp body, they ran up the hill and toward the Temple of Kynareth. Tarrion followed them with Serana in his footsteps.

When he nearly kicked the doors to the temple down he saw Danica just coming out of a separate room. She took one look at Lydia and immediately stepped back.

"In here, quickly."

Tarrion carried Lydia into the small room and placed her on a newly made bed with white linen.

"What is the matter?" Danica asked.

"She was shot with an arrow. A poisoned one," Tarrion quickly answered.

"What kind of poison? Do you have the arrow?"

"No.. I.."

"I have it," Serana quickly said and she pulled an arrow from under her robe. Tarrion saw the tip of the arrow which was blood stained, but also had a slight green look.

"Let me see that," and Danica grabbed the arrow and analysed it. She closely looked at the tip, and back at Lydia's wound. She smelled closely and then threw the arrow away.

"Lotus Extract," she whispered. "Jenssen! Get over here!"

A Nord priest entered the room.

"Get the strong healing potions. Now! All of them!"

"All of them?"

"YES DAMMIT!" she shouted at him, and he sprinted out the door.

"What can we do?" Serana asked. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Yes… find Ysolda. Ask her for 'Sleeping Tree Sap'. Hurry!"

Serana ran out the door with such speed, her cloak almost looked like a swarm of bats. Danica and Tarrion were left alone with an ailing and dying Lydia.

"What can I do?"

"Bring me a fruit from the Gildergreen…. After that…. Let us hope there still is something we can do."

The day neared its end. The whole of Whiterun now knew that Lydia lay in the Temple of Kynareth with grave wounds. Anyone who did not have anything important to do came to the Temple, much to the annoyance of Danica. The Jarl himself wanted to visit her, but Danica forbade him.

"Forgive me Jarl, but if you want to save her…. let me help her…. and I cannot allow anyone in."

Arcadia had also helped brew some strong potions to help, and Danica had explained why she needed the Sleeping Tree Sap.

"It will give her a short boost, while slowing her blood flow. Thus she will not lose too much blood, and the poison will not spread any faster… buying us some time."

With the sun setting, Jarl Balgruuf send everyone away to their homes, but Tarrion and Serana stayed. Elaine had also arrived at Whiterun and joined them in their wake. The soldiers had wrapped Marcus' body in cloth and brought it with them to be embalmed for the journey to Cyrodill.

Danica, her acolyte Jenssen and even Ahlam were now in the locked room trying everything in their power to save Lydia as the minutes changed into hours.

* * *

After many hours the door finally opened and Danica walked out. Elaine had left for the Bannered Mare to rest, but Tarrion and Serana had stayed. Azzar was nowhere to be found, but Aela had explained that he was away on a job. As soon as the door opened Tarrion jumped to his feet, eagerly awaiting news. But Danica did not look like she had good news to tell.

"How is she? Is she better?" he asked.

Danica sighed deeply before she answered. Her eyes were tired from working so long and she dropped on the bench next to Serana.

"I don't know," she shook her head. "That depends on her."

"What do you mean?" Serana asked, and her eyes looked with desperation at the priestess.

Danica sighed again. "We…. She will live."

Serana sighed in relief, but Tarrion kept his eyes fixed on Danica, because her tone said there was more to tell. "She will survive… but…."

Danica tried to find the right words to say it, and she closed her eyes in defeat. "When we examined the wound more closely…. The arrow had pierced her abdomen…. And also her womb…"

Serana's eyes widened and Tarrion felt his stomach twist.

"The poison has ravaged her there as well…. She will live…. But we cannot fully heal her. Eventually she will regain her strength, and she will be able to live a normal life again… but we will never be able to fully restore her. She will always have a scar…. And," Danica sighed again and covered her face with her hands. "her womb will never fully heal."

From his countless adventures with Lydia Tarrion knew what sort of woman she was. Strong. Stubborn. Loyal till the end and unwavering in friendship. But he also knew that deep down there was a strong desire for a family. She had often told Tarrion of wishes she had and of the deep want for a family.

"I am content with running around with the Dragonborn, sir," she had said with a smile. "But I hope that one day I will be a mother…. And I'll thank Lady Mara with all my heart for a child. To be a parent… that is my deepest wish. No riches… no fame…. But a child to love."

Tarrion stumbled back against a pillar and felt how a part of him fell through the ground. How an emptiness filled his chest in the face of this news. A deep loss and pity filled him now that he knew that Lydia's deepest wish and greatest desire would never be fulfilled.

"I cannot tell what this will do to her," Danica continued and she had tears in her eyes. "Maybe she will learn to live with it…. Maybe it will rob her of the will to live. I cannot say what will happen."

* * *

In the days that followed, Lydia slowly recovered. Azzar had returned and immediately went to see her, and was happy to see that she would pull through. Danica refused to tell her at first, because she was still too weak… but eventually it became inevitable, and eventually Danica had to bring the news to her.

Tarrion was there when Lydia heard of it, and he would trade everything to help her. At first he heard her cries…. Her screams… her sobbing... how she shouted: "NO! NO!". Azzar was there for her, but she pushed him away and locked herself in Breezehome. Tarrion tried to help her. Serana talked to her… but nothing could lift her spirits, until she eventually tried to drown her sorrow.

The days turned to weeks, and those to months, until it had become part of her. She would sometimes shout that she would not accept it. Other times she would try to forget it. On moments she would be her old self again… only to then cry herself to sleep. Azzar would visit her, and she would almost always accept his help and his kind words, but there were days when she would not hear it and told him to leave her.

As time went on, Tarrion and Serana saw Lydia's rage and pain decrease. They both knew she would never fully accept it as part of her life, but after a long while, she was able to live from day to day. She acted normal again, but deep in her eyes, a powerful pain was always visible. When one day they decided to head back to Lakeview Manor, they had trouble to say goodbye. Serana hugged her for a long time, and she almost refused to let Tarrion go. He kissed her on her neck and held her tightly, hoping she would never feel unwanted and that she knew he loved her deeply.

Afterwards they left for Falkreath, and for the first time in years…. Both Tarrion and Serana left for home with their heads down… and a deep feeling of loss. A feeling that would not go away easily…. If ever.

=End of Chapter=

=End of Arc=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

And that is the end of Blood Runs Deep. A chapter that was too difficult to write properly. I hope that people still read my story from time to time and still check it for updates.

I hope you liked the story Arc, despite the ending.

But I will take a long break now. The next Arc 'Dragonborn' offers a lot of opportunities and stories that i want to include. I will take my time to prepare this story, so as to not miss anything important. This will take time, and it might be that i will not publish anything untill June or July.

I have no intention of letting this story die here though…. And I do think I will write again… just not for now.

Until then; Yours Truly

Megagothmog


	40. Dragonborn 1

**Dragonborn part 1**

 _-The Island of Solstheim, North of Valenwood-_

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH."

With force his face was shoved down into a large bucket filled with ice and water. Two hands held him down almost long enough to drown him, but just as he was about to lose consciousness he was pulled back up. Gasping for air he fell to the ground, his hands covering his face. The burns still seemed to glow in his skin and his eyes were burning in their sockets.

NAU OK KRU

Two others pulled him on his knees and forced him to look up.

A large figure loomed over him. It looked far from human, and he wondered it had ever been human. The robes were once inlayed with bone and gold, but the gold had faded and the bones were broken. The only thing that was still intact was a terrifying mask. Pale white, with a beard like a single long tentacle. Two glowing eyes pierced through the mask and now stared at him, and then it spoke. The voice was harsh and raw and spoke in the language of dragons, and yet he could understand it. How he did not know… but it was a language of fear to him. A language of domination.

"Go! Travel to Skyrim. Find the False One and kill him. You cannot fail. Bring back his head and his heart, and Our Lord will reward you with the knowledge and powers of a thousand men."

Almost unable to walk he forced himself out of the chamber and into the darkness of a room close by. The fear had left him and now there was only conviction. Only the hatred for this False One. He was given the task to kill him, and he would not fail. Tomorrow… he would round up a few others and bring the False One's head and heart… just like the master had commanded. He knew he was chosen. Him. No other… the marks on his face were given only to him. Not to others… to him!

He heard the raw voice echo throughout the dungeon again, and a surge of fear came over him. Even just being in the same area as…. That thing… was enough to make even the bravest of men cower in fear.

VOPRAAN AHZIDAL. SIIV ZAHKRIISOS. FIN IN FEN DAAL. NID FEN VUTH ROK.

After that there was silence, and he steeled himself again. Determined. Strong… he would not sleep. He would not sleep until this False One is destroyed. A small mirror was placed against the wall and he looked at his deformed, Dunmer face. But he smiled. A grin was plastered on his face and he smashed the mirror into pieces and put on his mask. Made from the bones of dragons, it hurt him… but he knew that his sacrifice would be well rewarded. For at least a century he had practiced the art of magic and war… and no mortal could stand against him. He stood alone in the room and laughed.

"Count your blessings, False One! I am coming for you!"

A few hundred miles to the south west, the wife-to-be of his target was calmly tending to her garden, seeing if the herbs had grown enough.

* * *

 _-Lakeview Manor, Falkreath Hold-_

The day had not yet dawned and yet Serana was already awake. After twisting and turning a few times in bed, she decided to go downstairs and since she was wide awake already she went into the garden and tended to the herbs a bit. The Blisterwort, Canis root and Deathbell were all growing fast, whereas the on the other side of the garden the Mountain Flowers and Dragons Tongue were growing slower. She knew this made sense, as those flowers needed more sun and took longer to grow.

Her softly glowing red eyes peered into the darkness like it was mid-day. Her skin was ivory-pale and her hair darker than the night itself. She wore her simple tunic again that she would always wear in the garden. It was dark red and brown and was stained with dirt on plenty of places. With skilled hands she removed the unwanted weeds while pruning the plants where needed, and she was contented with it. Not a care in the world was on her shoulders, and she loved every moment of it.

A few minutes later the sun slowly rose over the eastern mountains and Serana washed her hands and decided to make dinner. She knew her cooking skill were nowhere near as good as Rayya's and yet she was improving… or so Tarrion said.

"WHA…" a voice shouted behind her and she turned around to see Rayya hold her hand over her heart while panting. "By the gods… you scared me. Normally I am the first one up."

Rayya wore her own tunic with her deep blue turban. Her dark, Redguard skin made her eyes stand out and she walked into the kitchen.

"Sorry," Serana answered with a smile. "I woke up early and decided to make breakfast."

"Oh… do you need help?"

"hmmm… yes I need some advice. Do you think Dragon's Tongue could be used in breakfast?"

"Ehh…. I have no idea… I never tried. Why do you ask?"

Serana shrugged. "Just thought I'd try something."

Rayya came standing next to her and grabbed a pitcher with milk from a cabinet and poured it into a tankard. "You ever tried it before?" she asked.

Serana shook her head. "No… but I think it can be very tasty. I mean… it does have an allure to it… and it can make you feel good."

"Very good," she added with a smirk.

Rayya looked at her with one eyebrow raised as she took a sip.

"Ahem… sorry," Serana mumbled. "I was thinking about a different Dragon's Tongue."

With a fountain of white, Rayya spit out her milk and coughed a few times before she was able to say anything. Serana, realizing she said it aloud, became red in her face and was suddenly very interested in the crust of the bread she had in front of her.  
"Too many details!" Rayya shouted. "That was something I did not want to hear."

Serana chuckled and blushed. "Jealous?"

"I cannot be jealous of something I cannot have," Rayya quickly said. "I never have the change to meet someone since you two need me to be here."

And she quickly left the room, leaving Serana with mixed feelings behind.

After a few minutes Serana had finished making a simple breakfast. Since Tarrion was still asleep, she and Rayya sat outside in the morning sun, calmly drinking and eating.

"Rayya… can I ask you something?" Serana carefully asked.

"Of course," Rayya nodded.

"What did you mean by what you said earlier?"

Serana looked at the Redguard woman with a slight concern in her eyes, but there was no quick answer. Rayya finished her drink and looked out over Lake Ilinalta.

"Nothing…" she ultimately sighed.

"No," Serana said. "Nothing is a good friend of mine… and this is not nothing. You can tell me. Are we bothering you?"

Rayya immediately shook her head. "No.. no, not at all. That is not it. It's just…" she sighed again. "You have Tarrion… and he has you. A few months ago I heard that Lydia also has someone now. But I don't have someone else. If I need something I can always ask both you and Tarrion but…"

"… but you'll always be the third cow to pull the plough." Serana finished her sentence, and Rayya raised an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't describe myself as a cow… but yes. And to make matters worse we live out here. Lydia lives in Whiterun… Jordis lives in Solitude… Argis is already married… Iona can get any man she wants, especially with her looks. But the main point is that I live here… in the middle of Falkreath Hold, at least two days from Riverwood and almost four days from Falkreath. I don't get the chance to meet someone, and normally that wouldn't be a problem, but since the two of you are constantly in each other's arms… it starts to wear me down."

As Rayya poured her heart out, Serana felt guilt filling her heart. She knew that she and Tarrion had indeed been extremely close, especially during spring, but she never thought of how it would feel for Rayya.

"If we would be living in the city I would be able to go to the market and maybe meet other people there… but I don't have that. I live here… with my thane and his wife-to-be… and yet still alone."

Serana had listened to every word she said and felt guilty for not realizing it sooner. Rayya had always been there for them, and was quicker than anyone else, besides Tarrion, to accept Serana despite her Vampirism. And she had never asked for something in return… but Serana saw that she had a deep wish, but never dared to ask it since she chose duty above it.

"So… would you wish for some time for yourself?" Serana asked her. "Not be alone here… but go and travel to Falkreath… Whiterun… maybe even Solitude or Winterhold? See more of Skyrim and… meet people?"

Slowly Rayya nodded. "I would not ask it… but yes. That is a wish I have."

"Then we will make it so," Serana said happily. "You want to travel Skyrim and devote some time to yourself… then do just that. The two of us can take care of business here."

"I still cannot do so without Tarrion's permission," Rayya pointed out. "He is still my thane, and I have to obey his command."

"Oh please," Serana waved it away. "Tarrion cares deeply for you, and if you would ask him, I have no doubt he would say 'yes'. And even if he doesn't… I'll convince him."

Rayya chuckled and smiled. "How will you convince him? Will you unbutton your tunic for him?"

"My chest is his weakness," Serana nodded while chuckling.

* * *

Tarrion needed no convincing. "Of course you can. You have given everything for us, so this is the least we can do. Take as long as you need."

The same day, Rayya started packing for her journeys through Skyrim. Both Tarrion and Serana helped her, and he gave her a large coin pouch for when she needed money. Rayya knew better than to refuse and the next day, right before dawn she said her goodbyes, mounted her horse and rode off toward Whiterun.

Tarrion and Serana stayed behind and for the first two days, not much was done in the sense of chores around the house. But after a while Serana noticed she couldn't spend all of her time on top of Tarrion and the two started to see to the house. It was calm and peaceful, a life Serana had come to love more and more.

But like everything else… this too came to an abrupt end.

Tarrion's axe came down and split a log in two. The hearth was in need of new wood, and while he made some new firewood, Serana was removing the chairs from the table after cleaning the floor when she heard a few harsh knocks on the door.

It was mid-day and she wondered who might come knocking, but she thought it would likely be a courier with letters. Her shock was then great when she opened the door and saw half a dozen men and women standing in front of her. All looked equally odd, yet the one in the front looked down right terrifying.

They all wore green and yellow robes, with a crude leather band across their chests. Their gloves were made from strong, green leather and their wrists seemed to be reinforced with scales. Their robes reached down to their ankles and each of them wore a strange mask. A pale mask with strange markings with no discernible eyes. But their leader wore a different mask. It was clearly made from bones, and spikes came from both sides of his face. Strange markings like swirls were made near his eyes, and the chin was jagged with spikes.

"You there… we are looking for the one they call 'Dragonborn'," the leader barked at her. "Where can we find him?"

It took Serana a few seconds to respond, as she was still shocked by the strange masks. "Who is asking?"

The leader stepped forward. "So you know him. Where is he?"

"Again… who is asking?" Serana asked, this time louder.

"That is none of your business, bitch! Now tell us! Where is he?"

"You call her 'bitch' again… and I'll take your head off," a calm voice said and Tarrion walked around the corner of the house. He still had his axe in his hand and his chest was bared.

The leader of the group immediately addressed him. "Are you the one they call 'Dragonborn'?"

"I am… now answer her question; Who are you to ask?"

The man ignored him. "Your lies fall on deaf ears Deceiver. The True Dragonborn is coming. You are nothing compared to Him… you are but His shadow. When Lord Miraak appear all shall bear witness! None shall stand to oppose Him!"

He then turned to the men and women behind him. "Destroy the False One!" and in unison they attacked. Four went after Tarrion, and the remaining three attacked Serana.

They would have been overwhelmed by the sudden attack, but both Serana and Tarrion expected something to happen. Serana had silently charged an Ice Spear in her hand, and Tarrion had gripped his axe tighter. And so the attackers were quickly under attack by the duo. Serana, with her fast, Vampiric reflexes took all three of her attackers on at once, and thrusted her knife into a throat while impaling the other with ice. The third one tried to stab her in her back, but she deflected the blow with her hand and slit the man's throat with one move.

Tarrion buried his axe in the head of one of his attackers, and his fist knocked out the leader in one punch. The third one tried to fire a spell at him, but the Thu'um incinerated him before he could move.

YOL

The last one standing stumbled backwards when Tarrion came for her and she screamed.

"Miraak! Help me!"

But Serana appeared behind her and slit her throat before she could make another sound.

"You're alright?" he asked and Serana nodded.

"Don't worry… they didn't touch me. You?"

He shook his head. "I'm fine."

"Who were they?"

"Only one way to find out," Tarrion growled and he walked to the unconscious body of the leader. "I knocked him out… let's see what he knows," and he yanked the mask from the man's face and Serana gasped for air.

They saw that the man was a Dunmer. Over his face there was a huge scar. Like the man had suffered a cut from a flaming sword. It went from his forehead, down over his eyes, nose and mouth to his chin. His nose had become a mere stump, one eye was removed and his mouth was cloven in two. It seemed that his mask was made to torment him, because Tarrion saw small cuts all over his face that were still bleeding.

"Let's see what he knows."

Tarrion charged an ice spell in his hand, but did not fire it, and instead grabbed the man's face. The freezing cold made the man wake up and Tarrion pinned him down before he could move.

"Talk!" he barked at him. "Who are you?"

"Let me go, False One!" the man shouted, desperately trying to get away, but Tarrion was too strong for him.

"Who are you? Who in Oblivion is Miraak?"

The man stopped squirming and looked with his one eye at Tarrion. He seemed to think, and suddenly smiled, his mouth opening and blood gushing from the wounds on his lips.

"You're dead already… you just don't know it yet."

And with a move too quick for Tarrion or Serana to react, the man pulled a small knife from his sleeve and rammed it in his own throat. Blood gushed out, but Tarrion moved quickly. He pulled the knife out and cast a powerful healing spell on the man.

"You don't get away that easily."

But the wounds did not heal, and before Tarrion saw that it was not working, the man was choking and fell limp.

Serana stood still for a few moments, looking at the dead man and Tarrion stood up, shocked and surprized by the fact that his healing spell did not work.

"WHAT IN OBLIVION IS GOING ON?"

Serana shouted the words as she looked at the dead bodies, the man's mutilated face and the strange masks they were wearing. She heard what the man had said; about Tarrion being the 'False One', about the 'true Dragonborn Miraak' and none of it made any sense. She looked at Tarrion, but he seemed just as surprised as her.

Neither of them really knew what to do about this, but they decided to search the bodies, looking for any clues about what this all meant. They found a small note on the body of the leader and Tarrion read.

 _Board the ship 'The Northern Maiden' docked at Raven Rock. Travel to Windhelm and begin your search for the False Dragonborn. The one who calls himself 'Tarrion' and kill him before he reaches Solstheim. You cannot afford to fail or you will face the Master's wrath._

 _Bring both his head and his heart as proof of your success and Miraak shall be most pleased._

Serana read the note for herself and looked at Tarrion, but he seemed just as confused as her.

"Are you…. not the only Dragonborn?" Serana asked.

"Either that…" Tarrion thought aloud. "or someone has convinced a lot of people that he is one."

"So… what do we do?"

"Hmm…." Tarrion grumbled and he looked at the bodies of the cultists that now lay scattered on his property. "I would love to shrug this off, but… these guys seemed to be convinced that I am a 'False Dragonborn'. The clothing… I am not worried about… but this mask."

He held the mask in his hand and looked at it. It had apparently caused great pain to its wearer and was made specifically for that purpose.

"This mask urges me not to think of this lightly. This is not a run-of-the-mill bandit, or some cultist that has gathered a bit more power than a few others. This reminds me of something I have not faced in years."

"What?"

"Dragon Priests."

"You think a Dragon Priest may be behind this all?" Serana asked astounded. She had heard of Tarrion's adventures and of the times he faced the Dragon Priests, but she had always thought they acted on their own… commanding Draugr and other undead… but never the living. "Why do you think this?"

Tarrion thought about his answer as he stared at the face of the cultist's leader, how it was mutilated and how the mask had scarred it even more.

"Because the masks that they wear… are often made from the bones of Dragons… and…" he hesitated. "and because when I tried to put one on… I felt like it was made to hurt its wearer. This mask does the same… It is not the mask of a Dragon Priest… it has no magical power to it… and yet…"

Tarrion sighed and looked at the leader again. "Was he a Vampire? Or Undead?"

Serana shook her head. "You mean because your Healing Spell did not work?" and Tarrion nodded. "No, he wasn't. My best guess is that someone… or something… made it impossible for him to be healed… maybe as added torment with the mask. To make sure he would not try and heal himself. To ensure loyalty."

Tarrion nodded and knew she had to be right.

"So…" Serana started and she knew the answer already before she asked the question. "what do we do now?"

"I hate to say it but…" Tarrion sighed. "I think we have to go to Solstheim… and see what this all means. I have a feeling that if.. whoever is behind this.. finds out that these guys failed, they will not hesitate to send more."

"Damn." Serana whispered to herself. She had looked forward to spend time alone with Tarrion… without worries, without anything other than each other to think about. The Jarls kept to their own devices, only Elisif sending a letter occasionally with a request for advice… and the Companions also had their own things to look after, and since Tarrion was not their leader, but only an advisor they could be left to themselves. Only the College required his attention more than anything else, and every week he would receive new letters with requests and reports. Serana never expected Tarrion to drop everything for her and do nothing but spend all of his time on her… she knew it would eventually get boring… but something like this was the last thing she wanted. Now she already saw how Tarrion would have to risk his life, something he was always ready to do for the greater good, and she would have to worry sick about him. She loved him for it. She loved that he cared and she knew that once she was the subject of his willingness to do what he could to rescue and help others… and when she remembered those moments, it filled her with warmth. But now… when she saw yet again that he would have to go above and beyond to help others and save himself and her… a deep concern filled her.

But she also knew she would be there with him. Not standing on the side-line, not supporting him from afar, not be a sidekick like those in other stories… she would be right next to him, and the daedra themselves would fear her if they dared to harm him.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

WE'RE BACK! It took a bit, but we're back! How are you all? Good? Good. I'm good too, thanks for asking. I had a bunch of problems with my laptop, reinstalling everything… rebooting it over and over again… until eventually just bought a new one. At any rate… I'm back and I'll do my best again to make the story as epic as I can.

As I said in my last chapter, this Arc will offer a lot of opportunities that I want to take. You will definitely see differences with the game… but I won't spoiler anything just yet… just be prepared :)

 _Dragon Language used_ :

 _NAU OK KRU: On his knees_

 _VOPRAAN AHZIDAL: Awaken Ahzidal (Ahzidal - Bitter/Embittered Destroyer)_

 _SIIV ZAHKRIISOS: Find Zahkriisos (Zah-krii-sos - Finite-Kill-Blood)_

 _FIN IN FEN DAAL: The Master will return_

 _NID FEN VUTH ROK: Nothing will stop him_

 _YOL: Fire (From the Fire-Breath shout)_


	41. Dragonborn 2

**Dragonborn part 2**

With the day slowly ending the duo neared Windhelm. The always snow-covered city loomed in the distance and the highest peaks of the Palace of Kings glimmered in the sun. It's high and thick walls had been repaired after the siege that ended the Civil War, yet it still brought a few nasty memories back for Tarrion.

Serana looked at the city and knew she hadn't been there in a long while. Tarrion hardly ever needed to go to Windhelm, since the Jarl, Brunwulf Freewinter, was a just man who had only the best thing in mind for everyone that lived in the city, be they Nord, Khajiit, Argonian or Mer. In that he had been one of the few to do so in Windhelm, if not the only one, yet after he had become Jarl, he had started to rebuild the Grey Quarters and improve the relationships with the Argonians living just outside the city. He had been wise and just and required little assistance, and so Tarrion only visited the city when really needed.

On their journey to Windhelm, Serana and Tarrion had stopped by Riverwood and asked Carmilla Valerius to watch over Lakeview Manor for the time being. She had happily accepted, despite protests from her brother, and Tarrion had given her a letter that was addressed to Rayya in case she came back before them. He had also written letters to each of the Jarls.

 _To the Jarl_

 _Greetings. I hope all is well._

 _I write this letter to inform you of an attempt that has been made on my life and the life of the woman I love. We both survived it unharmed, and we discovered that the one behind it seems to come from the island of Solstheim, north of Valenwood._

 _What this all means, I know not, yet I am now on my way to Windhelm to board a ship to take me to Solstheim and find out who is behind it all. For this reason, I have to leave Skyrim for an unknown amount of time. Thus I shall not be available for any of my duties or summons that may arise._

 _Forgive me for this, but this attempt on my life was not made by lowly bandit, but by something far more serious, and I would be foolish not to seek this out, personally._

 _I shall return as soon as this matter is resolved._

 _Signed,_

 _Thane Tarrion Dovahsebrom_

He had also send a different letter to the College of Winterhold, to Urag gro-Shub, with a request to send him as much information about Solstheim and Miraak as he could find. The courier that stayed at the Sleeping Giant Inn at Riverwood was convinced to leave with all haste after Tarrion waved a large coin pouch past his face.

A few hours later they arrived at the gates of Windhelm. The guards recognized them and let them through without delay. While Serana paid the innkeeper at Candlehearth Hall for the horses, Tarrion went to the docks in search of the captain of the Northern Maiden. After asking a few sailors he was directed to a ship at the far end of the docks. He saw a ship which was not huge, yet large enough to sail the open oceans. One of the crewmembers showed Tarrion to the captains quarters. There a Nord man sat behind a desk, staring blankly at a few papers with his quill hovering above the parchment..

"Captain Gjalund?"

The man snapped out of his trance with a shock and looked at Tarrion like he had seen a ghost.

"Huh? What? O-oh… yes… I-I am captain Gjalund."

"Are you the captain of the Northern Maiden?"

"Eh… yes," he said hesitantly and looked at Tarrion with something that almost looked like fear. "You are looking for passage to Solstheim?"

Tarrion nodded, but before he could say anything, Gjalund stood up. "Well… too bad. I'm not going back there."

"What? Why not?"

"I-… it's hard to explain. First those people boarding… wearing strange masks and all…"

Gjalund seemed to remember only half. He talked hesitantly, half expecting to correct himself… as if he did not trust himself anymore with his own words.

"I…I remember them coming aboard… but then I was here. I don't… don't remember the voyage. Several days.. just gone! I don't know what this all means but, but… something strange is going on there. That island… it's cursed. I feel it! I am not going back there."

Tarrion looked at the man and saw that he was telling the truth… or at least… what he held for the truth. The fear in his eyes was not faked and he had a dazed or disoriented behaviour.

"Yes you will," Tarrion said calmly. "You will take me to Solstheim."

"W-what?" the man looked up and he almost begged. "No! Never… out of the question… not going to happen… not in a million-.."

"Listen…" Tarrion interrupted him. "Those men in masks… those cultists… they tried to kill me. You brought them here."

This was not fair, and Tarrion knew that, yet he also know he had little choice. "You owe me… besides, maybe I can put a stop to whatever is going on there. I see you live off the trade between Solstheim and Windhelm… by not going back, you stand to lose everything. Take me there, and I'll stop this madness."

As soon as Gjalund heard that he was indebted to Tarrion, he went pale and his eyes desperately looked around for someone to come to his aid.

"Wow-… ho- hold on right now… That … How am I supposed to know… you can't do this. No… no way… off my ship. You can't force me."

Tarrion was forced to leave the ship and Gjalund slammed the door to his quarters behind him. He knew he had only two options now. Either threaten the captain, but it seemed that whatever Tarrion could do to him did not seem to frighten him half as much as the prospect of going back to Solstheim. The other option was to offer him a large purse of coin… yet Tarrion did not bring enough for bribery, and he wasn't about to offer something he could not miss.

"Ah, there you are."

Serana came walking from the rest of the docks with a smile and a large package on her back.

"Here," and she gave him the package. "These arrived this morning at Candlehearth Hall for you. The note on it said it is from Urag… probably the books you asked him to send."

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Thank you," he responded absently.

"Something wrong?"

He nodded and explained that the captain refused to take them to Solstheim.

"Whatever is going on there seems to frighten him far more than me."

He looked out over the Sea of Ghosts to the north and wondered what in oblivion was going on. First strange cultists, a strange note about a certain 'Miraak', now the captain being so scared that he simply refused to go back… Tarrion felt a familiar feeling of dread… knowing that this is a bit more than a wizard with a lust for power.

"Does he now?" Serana asked and her eyes shifted to the door that lead below deck. She threw her hair back and walked up the gangway. "I'll have a talk with him. Give me few minutes."

And before Tarrion could so much as look up in protest, she disappeared below deck.

Within a minute she came back with a satisfied smirk on her face, followed by a trembling captian who immediately started giving his men orders to set sail, as if he had no time to loose.

"Wha-" Tarrion started but Serana simply shook her head with a smile.

"Come on… we have a cabin to ourselves. We can rest there while they prepare everything."

After they grabbed their things, they headed below deck to a cabin. It was not exactly as spacious as they were used to. It had only one single-person bed, one chair with a small table and a small closet with a chest standing beside it. After placing their supplies in the chest, mostly food for Tarrion and two extra sets of clothing and a set of strong plated armour, Serana sat on the bed and Tarrion grabbed the chair and opened the package from Urag. He had sent about a dozen books that would have any relation to Solstheim and Miraak. Tarrion could not remember reading any of them, but he saw titles like _Ahzidal's Descent,_ three volumes of _A history of Raven Rock, Children of the All Maker_ and _The Guardian and the Traitor_. There were a few more, but these were the ones that stood out. Tarrion immediately grabbed a random book and started reading.

A while later the ship started to leave port and set sail. Serana watched as Tarrion kept reading and saw how his brow was furrowed as his eyes flashed over the pages. She saw a concern in him. His laid-back demeanour had faded and his gaze had turned serious. She had seen this before, and she hated seeing him like this. It meant trouble…

"Are you alright?" she asked.

He did not respond immediately, absorbed by the book. "Hmm?"

"Nevermind… I already have my answer," she sighed as she looked out the porthole above the bed.

"Sorry," Tarrion said as he closed the book and placed it on the table. "I was lost in reading… what was it you said?"

Serana saw he tried to conjure a slight smile, but she saw through it.

"You're not alright, are you?"

His fake smile disappeared and he stared at the floor for a few seconds until he answered. "No."

He came sitting next to her and grabbed her hand… not for her, but to give himself courage.

"I have this feeling of dread. A feeling I know all too well… and I think you know it too."

She nodded. "Yes but… why? Because of this crazy story about Miraak?"

"It is more than a crazy story, you know that," he answered and he looked at the chest. They had brought the mask of the leader of the cultists with them and wrapped it in a cloth, and placed it with their other belongings. "I cannot shake the feeling that this is not about a crazy wizard… but something ancient. Something far more powerful. That mask was made for obedience. Pure and utter devotion that goes beyond the fanatic. It is a cruel device to ensure loyalty…"

He sighed and Serana saw again that deep worry within him. "I've had this feeling before. After I killed the witches of Glenmoril Coven… before I found out that Kodlak was killed. The same feeling plagued me after I finished my trails at High Hrothgar… before I found out about Alduin and my true destiny… Also when we entered Fort Sungard to find my sister."

He paused and Serana saw a slight shaking in his eyes. "I remember the same feeling after I went to find Sorine and Gunmar…. This feeling that all will not be well. I feel the same now... there is more going on than what we think."

Serana grabbed his hands. "Look at me… we will get through this. We always have… sure, you'll gain a scar or two, but we have always survived."

"Not true…" Tarrion whispered and he shook his head. "I did not survive the fight against your father… remember? I wa-.."

"No, stop," Serana cut him off. "Please… that is too painful to remember."

She stared at her knees as she remembered how he lay motionless on the shores of Volkihar Castle. How they brought his body to Solitude… how she refused to let it out of her sight… and how his body gave up in the end. For four days he had been dead… and she had no hope of him ever returning.

He kissed her on her forehead and gently rubbed her shoulders. "That is why I'll not treat this lightly. I will not think of this as a common bandit attack or a mage gone rogue. This is far more serious than we think… and even if it isn't… we will have to prepare ourselves for the worst."

Serana nodded. "Alright… you're right, but promise me one thing," and she looked him straight in his eyes. "Don't shut yourself in. Don't think you have to solve this by yourself, and shut me out. I'll be here for you… but you have to be there for me as well."

He gave her a slight smile. "I will."

"Good, because I'm a vampire, and you don't really have a choice."

Both chuckled and she touched his jaw and kissed him.

"Well then," she sighed and she grabbed a book from the satchel. "Let's do some research about this Miraak and Solstheim."

* * *

They kept reading until after midnight when Serana found something interesting.

"Hey. Tarrion… I might have something here," and she snapped her fingers to get his attention. He looked up from his book. "'The guardian and the Traitor'. It is an old book… tattered, and it has a few illegible parts. Listen to this:

 _I spoke at length to the shaman of Skaal Village, a wise and hospitable man named Breigr Winter-Moon. He described an age long ago when dragons ruled over the whole world and were worshipped as gods by men. Presiding over this cult of dragon-worshippers were the Dragon Priests, powerful mages who could speak the dragon language and call upon the power of the Thu'um, or Voice. One such Dragon Priest was seduced by a dark spirit na-…_ then there is an illegible part… _promises of power, this treacherous priest secretly plotted against his Dragon Master…_. Then there is another large part that I cannot quite make out… only the something about the ' _Will of Dragons'_ and something that looks like 'Oblivion'. Then it continues... _The Traitor's plot was discovered by one of his contemporaries, another Dragon-Priest whom legend named The Guardian. The two fought an mighty battle that lasted for days, each hurling terrible arcane energies and Thu'um Shouts at the other._ "

She stopped reading and looked at him, the furrow on his brow made clear that he was thinking. "What do you make of this?"

"Hmm… We're looking for a character named 'Miraak' right now… yet this is about when Dragons still ruled the world. That was millennia ago… and this 'Traitor' is not mentioned by name."

"Hmm… well there is not much more than that," Serana continued. "There are another few illegible parts, but the rest is speculation. Some seem to think that this 'Traitor' is not dead… and there is an entry about how 'the Guardian' vowed to stay vigilant for his return."

Outside there was now only darkness. The stars shone dimly and the moon was waning. The sea was calm and only a bit of wind blew to carry the ship to its destination. The creaking of the ship gave for some minor sounds while Tarrion placed his armour against a wall, and Serana placed her clothes on the chest. A last candle was still lit as Tarrion sat on the bed and pored over the book 'The Guardian and the Traitor', trying to find a few clues or a few extra pieces of information. It was the only book that seemed to hold any information, despite that it was about events that happened thousands of years ago. The book spoke of Dragon Priests… and he was sure that a Dragon Priest was behind this all. Maybe because it was a situation he had seen several times before: the priest was defeated and sealed away by those that opposed the Dragons. And now… after the return of Alduin… they have awoken from their slumber. Tarrion had seen them before and defeated them before. Morokei… Otar… Hevnoraak… to name only a few… had awakened, only to die by his hands. If this was another Dragon Priest, Tarrion knew he had little to fear… but he was not sure.

In all his years he had never seen, or heard, from Dragon Priests to use the living as servants. They had always remained in their tombs… trying to get out… but none had succeeded. Yet this character… this Miraak… apparently had… and he seemed determined to return.

Suddenly he felt two hands stroking past his shoulders, down his chest, and two soft lips were pressed against his neck. Hair softly waved past his back and he felt how Serana pressed her cold body against him. Her breasts pushed against his back and she took the book from his hands and cast it on the floor near the chest.

She breathed deeply through her nose… taking in his scent… the scent of his warmth and of his blood. It had an immediate effect on her and a loving, lightheaded feeling came over her as she moved closer. With her hand on his chin she moved his head and gave him a soft and tender kiss. His lips were a bit rougher than hers, yet she only deepened her embrace and pushed her tongue forward.

She had heard how sometimes lovers would use their tongue when embraced in a kiss, and she had tried it a few times. At first it was a bit awkward, especially since she did not warn Tarrion, but after a few times she started to enjoy it more and more.

She felt his arm reach around her waist and with one strong pull, he placed her on his lap. She had already removed all of her clothing, and a slight feel of embarrassment plagued her, since she was in a strange place, with strange men sleeping in the rooms nearby. Yet this feeling fell off her shoulders as soon as she felt his manhood pressing against her through his loincloth.

"We will have to be very quiet," she purred softly to him as she untied the few cords that kept his loincloth together.

"Then we should take it slow," he whispered back.

"I know, but… it has been so long."

She finally untied the cords and a second later he too was completely naked, sitting on the edge of the bed, and her sitting on his lap.

"Last time was right before we left home," he smirked as he lifted her up and she guided herself over him. "and how long was that ago?"

"Too long ago," and she slowly lowered herself.

As she felt her walls slowly pushed aside as he entered her, a deep and powerful feeling of warmth coursed through her body. She lowered herself more, and felt him reaching deeper and deeper. Her mouth opened in a pleasant, but silent, 'ah' and his hands gently guided her to the base.

Her lips parted and her eyes half-open in a trance like state, she started moving herself. Slowly… so as to savour this moment… to feel every inch of him… to make this last as long as possible. Her eyes were fixed on him and a deep and strong longing was in them… a longing for her. His gaze alone made her feel more pleasure than she would have thought possible in her previous life. The gaze of her love, so close to her, so in love with her… was something that she would not trade the world with.

His hand went upward and pressed her between her shoulders, pulling her closer for another kiss. This combined feeling would already be enough for her… but not tonight. Tonight she would use all her willpower to make this last as long as she could. He made a move, but she grabbed his hand.

"Not yet," she moaned. "later…"

Instead of allowing him to summon a Bound Dagger, she leaned back and lowered his head to her breasts where his tongue began circling her nipple. She giggled softly as she felt him play with and suckle on her breasts. She could hear his heart beating faster and faster, his blood rushing, and a familiar feeling of thirst for him welled up.

As he moved her on her back his face hovered slightly above hers, stroking a lock of black hair from her face. The moon hung low and a single ray fell through the porthole on her skin. It shone almost silvery in the pale light, and it highlighted her dark hair and red eyes more than usual. He looked at her as she lay under him. Not a single flaw was on her skin and with her mouth slightly open in a silent moan he could see her fangs. One could only see them when she smiled, and even then, you would have to look closely as they were easily missed. They were only slightly longer than her other teeth, lengthening only when she was to feed. And yet, as she lay on her back with her mouth open in a blissful moan, he could see them. He could not imagine her without them. They gave her a distinct smile and he had come to adore her for it.

She rocked back and forth under his movements, her arms stretched out above her, her eyes closed… wanting her body to feel, rather than see.

She pulled him closer and flew at him, her mouth wide open and threw her arms around his shoulders. Without hesitation he was thrown on his back and mounted by her lust-induced body. Her movements sped up as she pinned him down with her hand on his chest, while the other wiped her hair from her face. A deep moan came from her… louder than she expected.

"Hmmm… ooohhh… yes…"

He tried to silence her, but she pushed him down again, and started moving faster.

"qu—quiet…" he whimpered, for his pleasure was getting the better of him. "They'll hear…"

"I… I don't care… let them be… jealous," and her eyes were now fixed on him in a lustful frenzy. "I don't care about them… I care about you…. I love only you."

Normally Tarrion would do what he could to let her vent her passion to its fullest extend… but he wanted this moment to be between them. Quicker than Serana could react… or maybe she was too occupied to react… he summoned a Bound Dagger and made a small cut on his shoulder, right next to his neck.

Her eyes immediately widened as she stared at the wound. With effort she pulled her eyes away from it and looked at him.

"Oh… you…"

But she was unable to finish her sentence and she dove on the wound. Her lips and tongue rushed over his skin and sucked the blood up, and not a single drop fell on the bed.

He felt how her body started to tremble and more moans came from her, and he felt his own peak approaching fast. He flipped her over again and kissed her and thrusted deeper.

"Mmmm!... mmm oooh-…"

He quickly placed his hand over her mouth and a loud moan was smothered as Serana felt his release entering her womb. Again… his warmth all around her, and now inside her… and the taste of his Dragon blood in her mouth pushed her over the edge. She clawed him over his back and he grunted with pleasure rather than pain.

* * *

"That was mean, Tarrion."

He smirked slightly and squeezed her hand. They lay beside each other. It was a one-person bed, far smaller than the bed they were used to. He lay on his back and Serana had pressed herself against him, his hand resting on her hip, while she held the other.

"Maybe… but otherwise the entire crew would have heard you. And there was no chance I could reason with you."

"So you decided to cut yourself?"

"It is the best way I know of to keep you quiet."

She chuckled and pressed herself closer to him.

"I have to ask, though," he whispered. "What brought that on?"

"Does a woman need a reason to love her man?... oh, alright. It's just… I thought there would be little time for this once we reach Solstheim. I've never been there, but from what we've read, I doubt it is a very romantic place. And we aren't exactly going there for our honeymoon."

"Meaning you want to go on a honeymoon?" he asked.

"Meaning I… ah, never mind… I don't rightly know what it really is that I want but…"

"But… what?"

But she shook her head and kissed his jaw. "Let it go, Tarrion. For now… just sleep… and hold me tight… I don't want the rocking of the boat to make me fall out of bed."

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

That ends a spicy chapter 2. Still… not much has happened, but I found it ridiculous that, in the game, you cannot ask anyone about Miraak, or Solstheim. Surely the Greybeards or the College would know at least a little bit. But alas… so I had to place this in myself. Hope you enjoyed it.

Also…. I have an idea for 2 chapters after this Arc. The Arc after this, 'Lands Unknown', will still come, but I thought about making 2 'intermission chapters'.

 **Interview with the Werewolf:** An interview with Tarrion. Just someone sitting down with Tarrion asking him some questions.

 **Interview with the Vampiress:** An interview with Serana. Same as with Tarrion… just asking questions which she will answer. (Doubt I can call it 'Interview with the Vampire' for copyright reasons :) )

If you want, you can submit questions you would like to ask either, or both of them. Not sure if I'll answer all… but I'll do my best. Both interviews will be with the characters though… not with 'an actor playing the character', so the questions will be lore-friendly I guess. So no questions like "What are your thoughts on the character you play?" or "Do you think Tarrion handled this correctly?" etc. We're asking the character... not the actor (or writer).

Looking forward to you questions.


	42. Dragonborn 3

**Dragonborn part 3**

With the day nearing its end the Northern Maiden came in sight of the Island of Solstheim. Tarrion stood on the bow of the ship and saw the island in the distance.

From where he stood he saw glimpses of something like a wall, built high, and he saw a few dome-like buildings. Two small masts from small boats were barely visible against the rocky mountains, and a few smoke plumes indicated that people were trying to stay warm in their homes.

On the right side of the town, Tarrion saw only endless ash lands, the further he looked, the lower the terrain became. A few dead looking trees brought only a little variety in the dead landscape.

On the other side of the town, the terrain went up, till it turned into mountains with snow-covered peaks. A few pines were visible on the slopes and on the far side of the town, but it mostly looked dead and desolate.

"This is Solstheim?" a voice said behind him and Serana came standing next to him. "This whole place looks… well, dead."

"Mhm…" Tarrion nodded. "It used to be a place of beauty… but that was taken away, by that..." and he pointed to the far south.

There, in the distance, just beyond the horizon, they could see the peak of Red Mountain, still smoking.

"When Vvardenfell erupted, the blast was felt here. For days the ash landed on this island, and now the entire southern part of it is covered in ash."

Serana looked at him.

"I read about it," he shrugged. "It once belonged to Skyrim, but after the disaster, the High King gave it to the Dark Elves, since Vvardenfell was practically uninhabitable. Now it is part of Morrowind."

As the ship neared the port captain Gjalund walked up to the two. When Serana looked at him, he quickly averted his eyes and faced Tarrion, only looking at Serana from the corner of his eyes.

"So… here we are. This is the town of Raven Rock. Can't say I am all that glad to see it again. I eh…. I guess I wish you good luck. Maybe you can put a stop to whatever is going on over here."

He guided the ship into the harbour and Serana saw a Dark Elf with black hair and a noble's clothing standing on the edge of the dock. She saw he had his eyes closed, almost like he was meditating.

But as soon as they made port, she saw that he was not meditating at all… he was about to fall asleep.

"Ah, Gjalund we… we almost though you… would not return," the Elf said. He talked slow, and yawned every few moments.

"I almost didn't, Adril… but I was… convinced by these two to go anyway," and he made a quick nod to Tarrion and Serana.

The Elf turned to them and looked at them with heavy eyes, and Tarrion thought that we was two seconds away from falling asleep.

"You two… I do…do not recognize you. I assume this is your fist time to Ra- Raven Rock… what is your business here?"

"We are looking for someone named Miraak," Tarrion said and he stepped forward. "Do you know someone like that?"

The Elf made two nods, but they were not an answer, only a sign of his fatigue. "Miraak?... no… I don't think I do."

"Sir…" Serana asked and she looked at the Elf. "are you alright?"

"I'm tired, lady. But please remember, both of you… This is Morrowind, not… not Skyrim. This is sovereign territory of ho.. house Redoran. You will have to abide by our laws…" and after another huge yawn he added. "Any questions?"

Tarrion decided to shoot the moon. "Are you sure you have never heard of Miraak?"

Adril slowly shook his head. "No… I don't think so… but please, let us sit somewhere. I feel like I can fall off the pier any second."

They followed the Elf and entered the town of Raven Rock. They quickly saw that Adril was not the only one who seemed to suffer from sleepless nights. Wherever Tarrion and Serana looked they saw citizens and guards walk past, but each of them had their head down, arms hanging down and with small slouching steps.

"Is everyone here… drunk?" Serana asked.

"Hmm…. No, lady…" Adril said after another yawn. "We're all just very, very tired. None of us have slept well in the last few weeks… It's been almost… two months now."

"Why?"

"Hmm…" Adril shook his head. "Let's go inside… I need to sit down."

They entered a large, dome-shaped building and a small sign was built next to the entrance. 'The Resting Netch'.

Inside they entered a small hall, with a large staircase that led downstairs to a large hall with a bar and about a dozen tables with chairs. It was clearly an inn, and a few hallways lead to separate rooms for patrons to stay in.

It seemed all of the town had fallen on hard time, as there were only a handful people present. The bartender absently cleaned a mug and stared at the counter with his eyes half closed.

"Morning, Second Councillor."

Adril did not say anything, but only nodded. He lead Tarrion and Serana to a table on the far side of the hall and fell into a chair.

"I must ask you… what brings you here? Why are you looking for this… Miraak?"

"He tried to kill us," Tarrion answered. "I met his cultists that claim that he is the true Dragonborn, which I find unlikely."

"How so?" Adril asked with a yawn.

"Because I am the Dragonborn."

Adril did not move, and did not even seem a little astounded by this. "I would stand up and shake your hand… but I am too tired to do so."

"Why is that?" Serana asked. "You said that for the last two months no-one has slept well here… what is going on here?"

"I'd like to know that myself too, lady," Adril answered and he started to explain what has happened… although he was frequently interrupted by large yawns.

"It started about two months ago… some of the townsmen started sleepwalking and left town to the Earth Stone… on the other side of the bay. A few tried to wake them… which succeeded, but the next night they too started sleepwalking. Now… every night… something calls us out to the Earth Stone, and there we start to labour on… something there. We are building a structure around it."

"Why are you doing that?" Tarrion asked, but the Elf shook his head.

"We have…. No idea. We are sleepwalking as we do it. We do not rest until the morning, and by then our bodies are exhausted. We just want to sleep again… but after a short while, we started sleepwalking again. And now… every time we fall asleep, we start sleepwalking to the Earth Stone and continue building that structure… day or night does not matter anymore. Some have started following us and they hear us chanting a rhyme."

"What rhyme is that?"

Adril took a deep breath… or yawn.. and said;

" _Here is his shrine_

 _That they have forgotten_

 _Here do we toil_

 _That we might remember_

 _By night we reclaim_

 _What by day was stolen_

 _Far from ourselves_

 _He grows ever near to us_

 _Our eyes once were blinded_

 _Now through him do we see_

 _Our hands once were idle_

 _Now through them does he speak_

 _And when the world shall listen_

 _And when the world shall see_

 _And when the world remembers_

 _That world shall cease to be._ "

As Adril spoke Tarrion felt himself shiver and the hair in his neck stood upright. Adril felt the same and he shivered and seemed uneasy.

"This has happened every time we go to sleep… first only at night, but now all the time. We cannot rest properly… our supplies run dry… we cannot go out to hunt because of the Ash Spawn, and our guards are too tired to protect us. We fear that we will soon die of exhaustion."

He looked up at Tarrion, and Tarrion saw a desperate look of pleading in his eyes… a look he had seen many times before. "Please… if you're the Dragonborn, maybe… maybe you can help us."

After Tarrion paid for a room and asked the innkeeper to take his supplies from the Northern Maiden and bring them to his room, did the two leave the Resting Netch and walked toward the end of the town. The tide of the ocean caused the waves to crash on the beaches and a few gulls sung their song as the sun was climbing further down.

"Are you alright?"

Serana looked up and saw Tarrion looking at her with concern in his eyes. "Me? I'm fine… no need to worry about me."

The tone of her voice was frustrated and she picked up a rock and threw it in the waves. She walked away from the town, toward the other end of the bay, where in the distance they saw a soft, green light coming from a strange structure.

"What is it?" Tarrion asked and he took her hand.

"Nothing, I…" and she sighed. "I'm just annoyed by the fact that you are again asked to help an entire town."

Tarrion furrowed his brow. "You don't want me to help these people?"

"No… not that… I'm just annoyed that it happens 'again'. This is not the first time trouble has found us, Tarrion…. I don't mind helping others… in fact I love that part about you," and she gave him a slight smile. "But, even during the times when we live peacefully in our home, I can never be sure if the day stays calm, or that a courier shows up with a request from one of the Jarls… or the Companions or the College. You are an important man, and I wouldn't want you to be anything else… but just the fact that so many people often ask you for help… it prevents me from feeling a calm, a time without worrying that something can happen any moment."

"So.. would you ask of me that I call off any and all responsibilities for a while… and devote my time to only you?"

Serana did not say 'yes', but neither did she shake her head. "I.. I'm unsure. Our lives are nothing if not exiting… we are never bored, and I don't want us to ever be bored…. But just a vacation, or something like that, would be nice."

She carefully smiled at him and he looked out over the open ocean as they walked further away, toward the end of the bay.

After an hour of walking they arrived at the Earth Stone, and it reminded Tarrion of the Standing Stones of Skyrim. A single pillar, seemingly formed from rock, stood up in the middle of the ashy grounds. A small area, almost like a basin to hold water, was made around it, but it stood dry and empty. Glyphs and runes and imagery were made on the stone, yet they were in a language that neither of them had ever seen before, yet they felt ancient.

All around the stone they saw pieces of rubble and stones hewn into a rough shape. A structure was already made around the stone, yet it was unfinished… and half a dozen men and women were walking around with pickaxes and hammers and chisels, and each of them recited the lines that Adril had told Tarrion and Serana.

"You there…"

A Dunmer walked up to the two, and they saw that he was not in a trance like the others. He wore red and yellow robes, like a wizard. His skin was grey, his eyes were old and sunken and he had a short, black goatee.

"You don't seem to be I the same state as all the others here, quite fascinating. Might I ask what it is you're doing here?"

He spoke with a posh accent, like he was a wealthy man, and judging by the three rings on his fingers, he likely was.

"Who are you?" Serana asked.

"Hmm…" the man mumbled as he curled his goatee around his finger. "Where I come from we first introduce ourselves before asking someone else… but very well. I am Neloth, a Master Wizard of the House Telvanni. Now who are you, and what are you seeking here?"

"I am Tarrion… this is Serana… we come from Skyrim and we are looking for someone named Miraak."

"Miraak, you say?" Neloth asked and he kept curling his goatee. "Hmm… I can't say I.. Yes!... I do know of someone who was named Miraak… but that makes very little sense… Miraak has been dead for thousands of years."

"Dead?" Serana asked surprised.

"Yes, that is what I said, girl. I don't know what this could mean, but it is quite fascinating isn't it? Perhaps it has some relation to whatever is going on here and what these people are working on… I can't wait to see the end result."

Neloth looked at the structure that the people were building as they were chanting.

"You haven't tried to stop this?" Tarrion asked.

Neloth looked at him like he had gone mad. "Stop this? Goodness, no. That would interfere with whatever is going on, and I wouldn't be able to see the end result! You clearly are not an academic, are you?"

"These people work here against their will," Serana said loudly and she took a step toward the Elf. "You don't even want to try and help them?"

"To what end, little girl?" Neloth asked with one eyebrow raised. "From what I gather they return here as soon as they fall asleep again. So why bother?… plus I am sure they will forgive me once I have found out what this structure is."

Tarrion saw that Neloth was clearly not concerned with anyone other than himself, and he decided to change the subject. "So, do you know anything else about this Miraak?"

"Hmmm, maybe. There is this temple on the island, dedicated to Miraak? Or maybe built by this Miraak. I cannot be sure of that, I have never been there myself. If you plan on visiting that place… it lies near the southern-most peak. You'll notice it when you near it."

Serana and Tarrion left Neloth to observe the working men and women. They knew that Neloth was right in saying that the people could not be helped right now… not until they could find a way to break the hold that… whatever it is… has on these people.

The two returned to Raven Rock, and with the sun setting, they went to their room in the Resting Netch. Adril was nowhere to be found, and the Innkeep was still trying to clean the same mug.

"This place is giving me the creeps."

Serana removed her cloak and sat down on one of the chairs. "Something is seriously wrong here. I agree with you now… this is no ordinary mage or bandit."

Tarrion nodded and thought about what Neloth had said. 'Miraak has been dead for thousands of years.'

"Do you remember what that book said? ' _The Guardian and the Traitor_ '?"

Serana nodded.

"I think that book might be relevant after all. This Neloth said that Miraak has been dead for thousands of years, right? That book spoke of a Dragon Priest who turned against his masters, thousands of years ago, and who was banished… many believe him to be still alive. We are looking for Miraak and I am fairly sure Dragon Priests are involved. What if this Miraak is the 'Traitor' from that book?"

"I have thought about that too," Serana nodded. "It is unlikely, yet it, unsettling enough, makes sense. The book also spoke of a 'dark influence'. What if that dark influence is what we see here. People losing their minds and go and create these structure around these Stones?"

"Yes, but a Dragon Priest controlling the minds of the people? That is unlike anything I have ever heard of."

With both unable to go any futher with the information they had, they both went to bed. Serana fell asleep quite quickly, yet Tarrion's mind kept trying to think of something they overlooked, until he found his eyes closing and he too fell asleep.

In the middle of the night Serana woke up. She opened her eyes and saw that she was alone, but from the corner of her eyes she saw the door move and someone just left the room.

"What the-.." she mumbled to herself and she quickly grabbed her tunic to cover herself and exited the room. She saw Tarrion walking toward the main hall.

"Tarrion? What are you doing?"

But he ignored her and turned around the corner.

"Tarrion?" she called out to him a bit louder, and she quickly ran after him.

She walked next to him and saw that his eyes were closed. His movement was slow and hazy, and he muttered words to himself, and those words terrified her for it was not Tarrion's voice she heard.

"Ahh… a new slave for me to control. Good, you will only hasten my return."

"Tarrion… wake up."

"I must say… I am disappointed. You seem strong… stronger than anyone here on the island. I thought your mind would be more difficult to break…"

"Tarrion! Wake up!"

"It does not matter…. Soon I will return, and all the world shall know it."

"TARRION!" Serana shouted and she knocked him hard on his head.

He fell backwards and opened his eyes to a terrified Serana standing over him.

"Wha-… What is it?" he asked with a yawn. It was only then that he saw he was no in his room anymore. "What? Where are we? What happened?"

"You were sleepwalking."

Serana's voice trembled and her eyes were wide open Tarrion saw how she was clearly terrified and he pushed himself on his feet. "Ugh… what happened?"

"You were sleepwalking!" Serana repeated. "I woke up when you left the bed and you were muttering to yourself. But it was not your voice… I had to knock you on your head to wake you."

"So that is why my head hurts," Tarrion joked and he rubbed his head. But Serana still had a terrified look on her face. "I'm sorry Serana… I don't remember a thing. I just remember going to sleep… and then this."

Serana brought him back to their room and kept a close eye on him.

The next day the two left Raven Rock and journeyed inland. The city quickly disappeared behind them and they were both given masks to protect their mouths and noses.

"Why do we need these?" Serana had asked.

"The southern parts of the island are covered with volcanic ash," Adril had explained. "The wind can sweep this up to create ash-storms… you will need these to cover yourself and continue to walk through them."

For a few miles, the wind had not blown very hard, but the further they walked, the harder the wind started blowing and the ash rose up and the two quickly put their masks on.

After a few hours of walking, and little to no talking, the terrain started to go up and the ash-storms died down, and the terrain became a little bit more lush. Pine trees gave cover from the sun and green grass covered many areas of the ground. Small amounts of flowers were visible around the roots of the trees and ahead the terrain started to go further upward, toward the higher areas with eternal snow.

With the terrain changing, Serana's mood changed a bit as well, and she forgot about what happened the night before. She looked around and saw how the terrain was no different from the terrain in Skyrim, and she started to feel a bit more at ease.

Tarrion on the other hand, looked around with suspicion, unsure what he could expect. The terrain, the foliage… everything seemed hostile to him. If a Dragon Priest could control the minds of the people, he had to be careful. Who knows what else could be under its influence.

As they continued walking up the mountain, the sun started to climb down again. They had walked for almost a full day now, taking only a few breaks, and the snow became more frequent until the ground was covered with a thick layer of white. The rocky hills turned into mountains and a soft but cold breeze blew up the snow, turning their hair white.

Serana noticed how Tarrion was lost in thought, and she knew he would not snap out of it easily… but she had an idea how to get his attention.

As Tarrion continued to be lost in thought, he instinctively followed the path that lead up into the mountains, not knowing if it would lead in the right direction.

"Haaa!"

He gasped for air as he felt an icy cold fall down his neck and spine. The snow fell like powder down his armour, and his muscles contracted when he turned around. Serana stood behind him with her hands covered in snow and a smile on her face. For two seconds he stared at her, and she only smiled back. Then he ducked and grabbed a large amount of snow and threw it at her.

The snowball fight lasted only for a minute but both of them were covered in white after a few seconds. Serana threw a snowball right against his forehead and he pushed a handful of snow in her neck.

They laughed and gasped for air as the cold of the snow fell on their skin, until Serana jumped him and they both rolled down the hill, until Tarrion was pinned down and smothered with a kiss.

As she cupped his face, he ran his hands over her back and rolled on top of her. He pulled back and smiled at her. "Thank you."

"You're brooding too much. It turns your hair grey."

"I have reason enough to be this way."

"Luckily you have me to let you smile from time to time."

He chuckled, but she saw how his smile suddenly disappeared and his eyes looked at something a few metres away. She turned her head and saw what he looked at.

A skull was half-buried in the snow… and it was not a human skull, but a Dragon skull. The lower jaw was invisible under the snow, except for two large teeth peaking just from all the white. A few metres away from the head, they saw parts of the wing bones, half covered with more snow.

He helped her on her feet and looked at the dead Dragon and Serana neared it. She had seen a dead Dragon before but not one this close. It still had a terrifying sense of power and awe, and despite that it had lost its life, it had not lost its majesty.

"By the gods…" Tarrion whispered and when Serana turned her head and saw the same as him, her mouth fell open and the cold, alpine air filled her lungs.

They found a wide path between two mountainous ridges that lead to a large and weathered building far above them. They could see a few large pillars marking the path, but everywhere they looked they saw the bones of dead Dragons. They lay everywhere… some were cracked, other's completely intact. The skulls were missing on some, and other had lost their wings. On some Tarrion could see wounds that were inflicted by weapons… others by spells, but all were brutal… like a massive battle had taken place her, a battle between Dragons and something that could withstand an onslaught of many.

"By the Blood," Serana whispered in awe. "That is a lot of dead dragons."

The path lead them further upward and before long Tarrion was not sure if the ground was white with snow, or the bones of Dragons. It looked like it was a cemetery… a graveyard for Dragons, but there were still signs of battle. Massive, cracked pillars and broken towers were built on either side of the path, and large and roughly hewn steps formed a massive staircase that lead further up the mountain.

"What happened here?" Serana asked. "What killed all these dragons? You think it was a Dragon Priest?"

Tarrion shook his head. "No… impossible. Not a Dragon Priest… not twenty of them… not a hundred. They are powerful, but not this powerful."

"Then what could have done this?" Serana asked again. "I mean… who beside you has the power to take on Dragons… and this many?"

They both stopped when Serana said those words and looked at each other. They both thought the same thing.

 _The True Dragonborn comes… You are but his shadow…_

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

Dead Dragons… dead Dragons everywhere. The ground is littered with them. The game shows like five of them, yet I always imagined there to be dozens of them.

Anyway… I hope you liked it.. the story has not progressed as much as I thought it would… but, as I said, this Arc offers so much opportunity. I will add tons more to this DLC… it hasn't even scratched the surface of what it could be.

Also: To the people pointing out that Solstheim lies north of Morrowind and not Valenwood... i wanted to write Vvardenfell, yet that somehow became Valenwood. I'd excuse this as a typo, but i don't think i can. :)

But school starts again for me. I have to continue my education again, so I will not have as much time for writing. I'll see to it to return to this story on occasion, but I have to devote most of my time to school… something I really need to tell myself every day.

Until next time… when we will enter Miraak's Temple and discover of what this really is about.

Till then, N'wahs!


	43. Dragonborn 4

**Dragonborn part 4**

"Here in his shrine…"

Serana closed her eyes as she walked past them.

".. That they have forgotten…"

She tried to shut them out.

"Here do we toil…"

She noticed that Tarrion tried to do the same…

"… That we might remember."

.. but she noticed that he also had a hard time ignoring them.

The duo walked past the large pillars and towers that were built on either side of the path that lead upward to the temple. They saw dozens of men and women working everywhere… and each of them chanted in unison. The words now echoed in their heads until it drove them mad. Both had the strong urge to turn around and walk away. No… run away. Far away from this place and forget about it. As they reached the top of the mount and arrived at a large staircase, Serana finally voiced her thoughts.

"Please… Tarrion, let's get out of here."

She clenched her teeth not to shout at the workers to shut up. She saw the hair in Tarrion's neck standing up straight and he nodded.

"I know… I would love to run away from here… this place is haunting. But I-.."

They suddenly heard a different voice sounding. A clear voice that was shouting, not chanting, and it was a woman's voice. As they reached the gate that lead into the temple they saw her.

"You must fight against what is controlling you!"

She tried to grab one of the workers who was carrying stones, but the worker ignored her and continued her work.

"Ysra! Can you hear me?.. You must leave this place!"

She turned around and saw Tarrion and Serana walking down the steps into a large courtyard.

The courtyard itself was almost one hundred metres wide, and elevated on the edges, almost like a bowl. In the middle a large stone pillar stood, emanating a strange green glow, and Tarrion recognized it as the same type of pillar that stood near Raven Rock, the Earth Stone. Everywhere they saw builders labouring on the construction of the temple. More pillars were made and parts of a roof were constructed entirely out of stone, but in a style that Tarrion and even Serana had not seen before.

The woman looked at them as they descended toward the Stone in the centre. She was slightly taller than Serana, and had hair as white as snow. Her clear green eyes showed a deep strength hidden deep within her. Her armour was made from steel, with imagery on her breastplate, and both the shoulders had the shape of an eagle's head. Her shins and wrists were plated, and fur covered her neck. On her hips Tarrion saw two axes… but one of them looked strange, like it was made from crystal or ice.

"You there… who are you? What brings you to this place?" Her hand already went to her hip, to grab her weapon if necessary.

"I am Tarrion… this is Serana. We mean no harm," and he raised his hands showing he came in peace.

The woman took a long look at them both and found them strange. He was tall, with black hair and deep eyes. His armour seemed to be made from the bones of Dragons, and a long sword, made from the same material, hung from his hip and a second sword hung on his back.

She was shorter than her, and her hair was darker than anything she had ever seen. Her skin was pale and flawless, yet in her eyes there was something she did not fully understand. Her clothes were mostly dark, and made from reinforced leather. A short, but razor sharp sword hung from her left hip and a dagger was strapped to the other.

"Forgive me for not trusting you," the woman said. "This place is not one to meet friends," she looked at them again and gave a short nod. "I am Frea of the Skaal. I am here to either save my people, or avenge them."

"Save them… from what exactly?" Serana asked and she looked around at the people that ignored them.

"I am unsure, but that worries me only more," Frea answered and she looked one of the women. "There is something dark at work here, forcing the people on the island to forget themselves and work on these… structures that corrupt the Stones… the very land itself. I do not know what is doing this… but my father claims that Miraak has returned."

"You know Miraak?" Tarrion asked immediately.

Frea nodded. "I know of him. His story is as old as Solstheim itself. The stories say that he served the Dragons as one of their Priests, long ago, before their fall from power. But he turned against his masters and made his own path… It is said that he tried to claim Solstheim for himself, and the Dragons destroyed him for it. But now… My father thinks he has returned? That… is not possible."

She looked at the two of them. "Why are you here? What business do you have with Miraak?"

"He tried to have me killed… have both of us killed," Tarrion explained. "Some time ago, a few of his cultists came to Skyrim and found me."

"Cultists you say?… Wearing strange masks?" Frea asked and he nodded. "Similar cultists tried to attack our village not long past. It seems we are here with a common purpose. We should enter the temple and try and find out what is going on."

The three found a stairwell that lead downward into the temple and Tarrion recognized the way it was build. An old Nordic Tomb. The three of them looked where they could but found only burned books and ruined hallways. A few small rooms in which, in ancient times, supplies were likely kept were only half intact, and they found nothing.

"We must hurry," Frea said as she walked past the corridors. "We must find out what is at work here."

"You said you are of the Skaal," Serana said as she looked at the woman. "I have not heard that name before. What can you tell me of yourself, and your people?"

Frea did not answer immediately, but took a good look at Serana. "Forgive me, but I cannot say much now. My people have lived on Solstheim ever since the All Maker gave it to us, and we live in balance with nature… but that is all I will say for now. As for me, I am here alone, as you can see. I have made an amulet for myself to protect me from the dark influence that is spreading over the land, but it is the only one of its kind."

She sighed as she walked on. "If I cannot save my people, there is no hope for them."

As they continued Tarrion felt the air growing colder. He knew they were heading deeper down into the mountain and it was unlikely that it was completely abandoned… these ruins never are.

They arrived at a large hall. Massive pillars held up the ceiling and in the centre there was a large, winding staircase that lead downward. But each of them looked up and saw dozens of cages hanging from the ceiling. Dry skeletons were still trapped in them and some showed signs of burns.

Frea looked up, and there was a strange look in her eyes. Not one of pity, but of intrigue. "I do not wish to imagine what kinds of things happened in this chamber. Who were these poor souls trapped in these cages. I wonder why they were tortured like this… was it in service to the Dragons… or for Miraak's own purposes?"

Tarrion heard a familiar sound of sarcophagi opening and a few draugr attacked them. They were no match for the three warriors and were dealt with quickly.

"Hmm… it seems the Dragon's Curse has affected even them," Frea said as she looked at the now motionless corpses.

"Dragon's Curse?" Tarrion asked. "What do you mean?"

"The Skaal tell of stories how the ancient people that once served the Dragons, yet turned on them, were cursed with undeath. The Dragon's Curse, is what we call that; _Upon them, the Dragon's curse lays claim. Never to rest, until the world is unmade_."

They continued further down. Tarrion had been in many of these tombs before, but even he knew of no tomb that was as large as this one... except maybe Labyrinthian. Skeletons were hanging from the ceiling and nailed to pillars, and Serana felt a deep unease. She had stayed out of tombs as much as she could, and she hated this place… but not because of the skeletons.

Frea walked past the skeletons and gave them not attention, but only mumbled to herself. "I do not know what made Miraak turn on his masters, but his path seems to have been a cruel one."

After what felt like hours they started descending down a massive staircase. Tarrion came walking next to Serana. "This is madness. This temple is massive. How much further down do we have to go."

"I don't know, Tarrion, but it makes me feel wrong. Like we're descending into the depths of Oblivion… I .."

She hesitated, because it was a terrifying feeling that she felt. "I feel Daedric influence here."

"How can you be sure?"

"I am not… but with my… history, I can feel it. There is something older than Dragons buried here… something more dangerous. Maybe that is why the Dragons razed this place to the ground?"

"Look here," Frea called out from the next room at the bottom of the staircase. "By the All Maker." And Tarrion saw what she was looking at.

An entire skeleton of ta Dragon was hanging from the ceiling. It's tail almost touching the far wall, and it's jaws opened wide like it was about to shout. The room had a large door below the Dragon's tail and several sarcophagi were built against the side. It was in that room where Tarrion found a Word Wall and as he neared it he could hear the Word of Power call out to him.

MUL

He could feel how he understood the Word, and yet it was unlike another Word he had heard before… not a Word of Power… but a Word of Empowerment.

The further they went deeper down into the mountain, the more they saw a change of architecture. The statues changed, and Tarrion understood what Serana meant. These statues did not look like anything from this world…. But they looked twisted, like the Daedra would do.

Frea walked past the statues and shivered as she looked at them. "we should not delay here… I feel like these statues can come to life at any moment."

"I know what you mean," Serana answered her.

They past more of these statues and Frea and Serana felt more and more uneasy, until even Tarrion could sense that something was deeply wrong here. He knew that a dread hung in this place and he felt the urge to turn around and make for the exit. But then they found a passage hidden behind a wall and it was there that Serana almost refused to enter.

"There is something…. I can feel it," and she stared at the corridor that lead further down. Tarrion could see the fear in her eyes and even the veins in her pale skin were slightly visible. He cupped her face to make her feel his warm hands and her body stopped trembling. She poured courage from his touch and she followed him deeper down. Frea walked behind them and she looked at the black-haired woman, and she knew she did not understand her.

They arrived at the deepest heart of the temple and found a room that was perfectly round. The unearthly architecture was apparent in the dim light that seemed to come from the ground itself. The room was completely empty, except for a small pedestal on which they found a book.

It's cover was black, and it's pages were oozing with a dark energy that seeped from the writing. It had not title that any of them could see, but only had a large, crest looking picture on the cover; a being surrounded by tentacles.

Frea looked at the book and recoiled. "There is something dark at work here… this book is wrong. It seems here yet… not."

Serana, with newfound courage, neared the pedestal and looked at the cover.

"I…. this feels familiar…. But I cannot place it."

"This may be what we seek."

Tarrion looked at Frea, but she seemed to be abhorred by the book, and Serana felt a deep unease as she was near it. He understood Serana. He too felt a familiar feeling… like he had seen something like this before.

He neared the pedestal and grabbed the book from it. A slight pulse came from the book, yet nothing happened. There seemed to be no answer coming from the book… by now all seemed to agree that the book was alive… and he opened it to the first page.

 _Waking Dreams_

"TARRION!"

Serana screamed as green tentacles appeared from the pages and wrapped themselves around Tarrion. She jumped at him to pull him away, but she fell right through him.

Frea tried to pull the book from his hands yet her hands also went through him. "What in Oblivion is this!?" Serana shouted at her, and she looked at how Tarrion stood motionless in the room, with the tentacles wrapped around his neck and arms.

"I think you are correct on that," Frea said so calmly that it angered Serana only more. "This book is not of this world…. It belongs in Oblivion."

- _Apocrypha_ -

When Tarrion opened his eyes he saw a world unlike anything before. The ground was green, the sky looked poison and all around him he saw massive walls and towers. But when he looked again he saw that they were not made from stone, but from books.

But all of that was nothing compared to what he saw in front of him.

A Dragon stood on the ground only twenty metres away from him, calmly breathing. It's scales were grey and it looked more like a snake with wings, rather than a Dragon Tarrion had seen before. Around the Dragon he saw creatures he did not know. They hovered above the ground, had faces with tentacles and four separate arms, but no legs. Their grotesque bodies were deformed with scrolls and books sticking out of their spines and chest and an empty look was in their white eyes.

But in front of the Dragon Tarrion saw a man. His robes were brown and green, made with golden imagery, and his gloves had golden scales on them. A large amulet in the shape of a Dragon hung around his neck. Tarrion could not see his face, but he knew immediately what kind of man it was. He wore a golden mask with seven small tentacles that acted like a beard. In his hand he held a strange staff and on his hip he wore a sword that was writhing with green ooze.

Tarrion had not moved, but as soon as he tried to stand up each of the creatures turned toward him. The Dragon turned his head and the man turned toward the intruder. The creatures rushed at him, but Tarrion immediately cut a few of them down, yet more came rushing in… emerging from the books that were stacked everywhere.

YOL

Tarrion Shouted to incinerate the onrushing creatures, yet nothing happened. There was no fire that escaped from his mouth. The Thu'um did not work.

FUS

The masked man Shouted and Tarrion was forced to the ground. Two of the creatures grabbed him by his arms and forced him to his knees as the man walked up to him.

"Who are you to dare set foot here?"

Tarrion tried to escape but the creatures pinned him down and he felt how his strength was sapped from him as soon as he arrived here…. Wherever that was. He had never seen a place like this before, and he knew now where he was… and yet… deep down there was something about it that seemed familiar.

"Ah.." the man said as he now looked down on Tarrion. "You are Dragonborn, I can feel it… and yet…"

Behind his mask Tarrion could see the eyes of the man widen slightly… although he did not know if it was in awe or in surprise… it was the latter.

"So… you are the one that has slain Alduin," and he chuckled slightly. "That was well done… and an impressive feat, I might add. I could have slain him myself, but I chose a different path."

"Who are you?" Tarrion shouted, but the man chuckled again.

"I think you know already… yet, your own mind cannot comprehend that this could be possible. As so many you are blinded by what you know, and anything outside it is foreign to you and scares you… so you refuse to believe it. A sign of great weakness."

"Let me go and I'll show you how 'weak' I am!"

Again the man chuckled but this time it was in honest amusement. "You wish to fight me here, now? Very well," and he nodded at the two creatures.

As soon as Tarrion felt the grip loosening he charged a powerful Fireball in his hand and threw it at the man, who merely stepped aside and as Tarrion charged at him, he threw him aside.

Immediately Tarrion jumped up, but the man seemed bored already and braced himself.

MUL QAH DIV

It was a shout Tarrion had not heard before, and the force of it alone broke the stone the man was standing on, and Tarrion was knocked back. When he looked up he saw a terrifying sight.

The man was now engulfed in energy that now radiated from him. His eyes glowed bright and all around him Tarrion saw an aura in the shapes of scales and horns… like a Dragon. He neared Tarrion and every step made the ground tremble and the stones cracked and broke beneath his feat.

"You have no idea of the true power a Dragonborn can wield."

With a mere gesture a powerful shockwave came from his hand and Tarrion again was thrown backwards and slammed against one of the walls, and he heard the Dragon laugh. Two of the creatures grabbed him by his arms and forced him om his knees again and the man, who Tarrion knew to be the one he was after, walked toward him.

"I now fully see who you are," he said calmly. "It seems my acolytes failed in their task. Hmm… Dukaan will have to answer for this. I would kill you myself here and now, but… you came here via one of the Books did you not? Then I cannot, and I will simply push you back to Mundus. But you cannot fight me here… the Master of this place has made that so. But this realm is beyond you, you have no power here. But I do have power in Solstheim… and it will only be a matter of time before it is mine. I already control the minds of its people… Soon they will finish building my Temple, and I can return home."

He smiled behind his mask and without warning gave Tarrion a harsh punch in his stomach with the words: "You will not be Shouting again, any time soon." He turned around and chuckled again. "Send him back where he came from…" and to Tarrion's surprise and shock, he mounted the Dragon without hesitation. "He can await my arrival with the rest of Tamriel."

Three of the other creatures neared Tarrion and they fired a strange shockwave at him. His vision went dark and the world around him became cold.

 _-Solstheim-_

"Lady… please stop pacing. It is not helping."

Serana ignored her and kept pacing in front of a silent Tarrion. His transparent body had shown no signs of any change and Serana felt only more anxious the longer it took.

"This is all your fault."

Frea looked up and stared at an angry Serana. "What do you mean by that?"

"You expect me to believe you had no idea what was going on down here?" Serana said angrily. "You said that your people have lived on this island for generations, yet you did not know what was down here?"

"How dare you!" Frea shouted indignantly. "My people have been enslaved by this power, yet you presume I knew about this?"

"I think you know more than you tell either of us… And now, because you refuse to tell us everything you know, the man I love is trapped in gods know where."

"Is that what you made him believe?"

But before Serana could ask what she meant by that, they both heard a large 'Arg' and Tarrion's body became solid again and he fell backwards. The tentacles let go of him and receded back into the book as it fell to the ground. They both saw how Tarrion grabbed his side and coughed blood.

"Tarrion!" Serana grabbed his shoulders and head and with eyes wide open she looked at how he gritted his teeth. "What happened?.. Talk to me."

"Dragons bones…." He grunted and he tried to get up. "I think my ribs are broken."

"How? What happened?"

"Miraak… I saw him… He did this…"

"What? Where is he?" Frea stepped forward and she had fierce look in her eyes. "Can we reach him? Can we kill him?"

Tarrion gritted his teeth again. "Agh… No… not now… this book took me to him… I do not know how."

"Hmm… this book is unnatural and dark. We should take it to my father, Storn. He will know what to do."

Tarrion still felt how at least half a dozen ribs were broken and Serana said that he should rest, but he needed medical attention and the room in which they stood brought a shadow over all of their thoughts. Frea quickly found a way out and a few minutes later they arrived at the exit of a small cave and stepped into the snow.

The cold, alpine air mixed with the salty sea air made Tarrion feel better and while he leaned on Serana they walked over a small path that lead upward to one of the higher foothills of the mountains.

"Tarrion… you need to rest."

Serana looked at him with a deep concern in her eyes. She knew that the wound was only a minor pain that he was dealing with, and that he had seen things that he did not tell her.

"Later… first the village," he grunted as he forced the one foot in front of the other.

An hour of walking later Frea stopped and pointed upward to the ridge of the foothill. They saw a strange glow over a few snowy rooftops, like the village radiated magic.

"There is our village… Storn has used his magic to raise a barrier around the village… protecting the few of us left…. It is a good sign that it is still there… yet it is growing weaker by the day. Let us move quickly."

As they climbed up the hills they saw someone walking towards them. Tarrion saw that it was a young woman, dressed in thick clothes made from fur and she had long, deep brown hair.

"Morwen!"

Frea shouted at the woman and ran towards her. "What are you doing here?"

But the woman did not respond and simply walked past her and mumbled those same haunting lines that send chills down their spines.

 _Here in his shrine_

 _That hey have forgotten_

 _Here do we toil_

 _That we might remember_

"Oh, no," Frea gasped and she looked at how her friend walked down the hill. "The barrier is weakening… slowly possessing those that try to maintain it…. We must hurry."

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

Oh no…. They're running out of time, and with Tarrion injured… it might be too late.

But anyways… thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter will take a while to complete, with school and all… but I will try to return to this occasionally.

 _Dragon Language used:_

 _MUL QAH DIV: Strength Armor Wyrm (From the Dragon Aspect Shout)_

 _YOL: Fire (From the Fire Breath Shout)_

 _FUS: Force (From the Unrelenting Force Shout)_


	44. Dragonborn 5

**Dragonborn part 5**

 _-Northern area of Solstheim-_

In the falling snow Frea's white hair was hardly visible. The sun was slowly rising over the island and it made Serana's vision all the more blurred. The bright reflection of the sunlight in the snow was almost painful for her, despite the ring, and she held her eyes half closed. Tarrion stubbornly walked on, having ignored most of Serana's protests. His ribs hadn't fully healed after their visit to the village, and although he had gulped down at least three healing potions and had tried to heal himself, he still felt that at least two ribs were still broken.

Arriving at the village they saw how a small group of people had sat in a circle, around a few small standing stones. They all sung a deep, bellowing chant that seemed to draw energy from themselves to power a barrier that was made like a dome over the village. After Tarrion had a brief conversation with Frea's father Storn, an old man with a long grey beard and grey hair, they left the village to Searing's Watch. Storn had explained how there was a Word of Power that Tarrion needed to learn to help the village, yet Tarrion did not know what kind of Word that would be. Serana tried to make him rest for a few hours, but Frea had urged them both to make haste, much to Serana's annoyance, and now they ploughed through the snow. Walking toward Searing's Watch was draining Tarrion, and Serana noticed this, while Frea continued to walk in front of them.

"I don't like her."

Tarrion chuckled slightly, which caused him to immediately reach for his chest in pain. "That's a first," he said sarcastically.

"Not like that…" she grumbled. "I think she knows more than she is letting on… but it was something she said."

"What did she say?"

But Serana shook her head. "It was more what she meant by it…. But I don't know yet what she meant exactly."

They heard Frea's voice on the wind. "There it is, but…. Oh no."

As Tarrion and Serana reached the top of the hill and looked at a small glacier they saw Searing's Watch. It was a Nordic ruin… just like the ones Tarrion had visited before. Crumbling walls, with a few lookout towers, and further up the mountain a large, broken staircase that lead to a large curved wall with figures and imagery carved in the stone. It was there that Tarrion knew he would find the Word he needed.

But that is not what drew his attention. Right next to a few crumbling walls he saw a Dragon, lying in wait. It looked different than other Dragons that Tarrion had faced before and it almost seemed naked. It's scaly hide was grey, with a white underbelly. It had a long tail and a long supple neck, not unlike a serpent.

It had noticed the three companions, and it reared its head like it had expected them.

"Damn… a Dragon… and I can hardly Shout."

"A Dragon?" Frea asked and she drew her weapons. "A Skaal has survived worse."

As they neared the ruins the Dragon took to the skies and roared loud. Serana charged a spell in her hand and Frea seemed eager to fight. Tarrion was walking slowly toward the ruins, with his hand over his chest. The long hike had taken its toll on him and the pain had become almost unbearable. He knew that Shouting was out of the question, yet the Dragon seemed determined to repel any visitors.

With Tarrion only playing a supporting role in the fight against the serpentine Dragon, it took longer than expected, and the icy breath of the beast nearly froze him solid. Serana was now occupied with defending him and kept firing Ice spells at its wings to bring it down to the ground. Above the searing blowing of the wind and the thundering shouts of the Dragon the three warriors could almost hear it laugh at their efforts. Without any real way to force it to land, the Dragon would simply fly out of their reach, only to sweep down and freeze anything it could see.

"This is pointless!" Frea shouted. "We are not hurting it… we only make it angry. We are like playthings!"

"What do you want us to do about it?" Serana shouted back at her, angry at the fact that she also felt powerless against a Dragon. "I can't bring it down, and Tarrion is hurt badly!"

Tarrion leaned against the wall of a small alcove, still gritting his teeth in pain. But he knew that without any real help, they would be stuck here.

The Dragon roared and came down again, ready to freeze any he saw. Serana stayed behind cover, but Tarrion suddenly walked out in the open and straightened his back, ignoring the pain. He knew he only had one shot at this, and he would not miss.

JOOR ZAH FRUL

The Dragon roared in pain and crashed into the ruined buildings of the ruins. As it smashed into the rubble, what was left standing came down, trapping the Dragon under many tons of stone and rock. Frea immediately rushed to the beast. Unable to turn around the Dragon roared and breathed ice, in an effort to break free, but it only felt an axe slicing its neck, after which a sword was jammed through its throat. Serana stood under the beast and gallons of blood rushed down and the snow became red.

With a last gurgling effort to move the Dragon fell down and stopped moving. Tarrion walked near it and before long, the massive body started to burn.

"Impressive."

A deep voice echoed over the glacier and Tarrion turned around. He recognized the voice and wanted to reach for his sword, but he fell to his knees. The Shout had drained him and he could hardly stand. His chest felt like it had been shattered by the blow of a great hammer.

Miraak stood in the snow, but it was not him. It seemed like a shade of him had entered this world, half corporeal, half ethereal, and it chuckled as it saw Tarrion on his knees in the snow.

"It seems you are stubborn. A trait I myself have too… and I praise you for it. Yet you do not have the strength to back it up."

The Dragon's body was now in flames and, with the echo of a roar, its soul escaped and entered Miraak's shade.

"Ah… It has been long since I have tasted this," and he looked at Tarrion. "Have you ever wondered if it hurts? To have one's soul ripped out like that? You will… Not yet…. But soon."

A sword was jammed through Miraak's chest. Serana stood behind him and her red eyes flared with rage. "Over my dead body."

But Miraak's shade simply turned around and chuckled. "It seems that is already the case… vampire. You will soon have to find a new feeding thrall."

And with a last laugh he disappeared in thin air.

Serana dropped her sword and ran to Tarrion, who was still kneeling in the snow, but he sat motionless.

"Tarrion! Talk to me."

She felt his body shiver and she could sense that his heart was beating faster and faster, desperately trying to pump the adrenaline through his body… desperately trying to dull the pain. The three ribs that were mended, were broken again by the Shout.

"We should get up there," Frea said as she came standing next to her.

"He can hardly stand!" Serana snarled at her. "He needs time to heal."

"My people don't have time!"

"And that is not my concern!"

The two women stood in front of each other and both of them seemed ready to fly at each other.

"He is at his limit!" Serana shouted at her opponent. "He cannot go any further. Not without any healing."

"We can give him that," Frea remarked coldly. "But not without the rest of my people, and they are still enslaved. Help us, and we will help him."

"Your people can go straight to Oblivion for all I care… I am not pushing him to his death!"

"Then we all-…" but Frea stopped as Tarrion walked past them toward the staircase that led to the Word Wall.

Serana rushed to his side. "Tarrion… you must rest," but he shook his head. "Help me get up there."

The sound of his voice was terrifying to her. It was cold. No emotion, only pain and determination, like a man who knew he was walking to his doom. Tears welled up in Serana's eyes as she heard how he said it and he continued to walk toward the steps.

After an exhausting climb Tarrion could hear the word echo in his mind as he neared the Wall.

GOL

It was a word of domination… of taking control, and Tarrion hated the feeling it gave him.

"What would you have me do now?" he asked Frea.

His voice was weak and broken as he leaned on Serana. She tried to keep herself quiet as best she could by throwing glares of hate at Frea and only concern at him.

"We must go to the Wind Stone… where my people work against their will. Just like you saw at the Temple… where the Tree Stone is imprisoned, my people are building a structure around the Wind Stone, corrupting it."

After several hours, although to Serana it seemed like days, they neared the Wind Stone. It was a large standing stone, similar to the Standing Stones that dotted the land of Skyrim, yet it was much taller with a small basin around it, just like the Standing Stone near Raven Rock. And just like in Raven Rock, a few dozen people were working and mining around it, still chanting the same chant that echoed hauntingly over the snowy terrain. Tarrion could see the woman that had left the village when they arrived. She chiselled large stone blocks into shape. He knew he would have to Shout to free them from this influence.

At the Stone in Raven Rock he could not sense what he did now, but from the Stone he could feel a power. It was emanating from the earth around it and from the Stone itself and it called to him, and he heard it. He knew that if they would stay there for too long, they too would be enslaved. Maybe the knowledge of the Word of Power made him hear and understand the power that now came from the Stone, and he was repulsed by it. It was a power to enslave and corrupt… not to protect.

The pain in his chest had grown worse during the long walk, and he felt that he was at his limit. Leaning on Serana as he walked made the walk slower and painful, yet with his last strength he raised himself and took a painful and deep breath.

GOL

Out of his mouth came a wave, yet unlike any wave he had ever felt. Serana felt a chill crawling down her spine as she felt the power of his Thu'um and she knew that it was a different type of shout. But with the Shout came blood and Tarrion collapsed on the ground, the snow around him became red with the blood that now dripped from his mouth. The structure around the stone cracked and fell apart, and the last Tarrion heard before he passed out was a loud roar.

 _-Skaal Village-_

Serana sat next to Tarrion. Her throat was locked, but her hands were shaking. Not with fear, but with anger. The last few days had drained her more than she would admit, and there had been several moments when she almost ripped Frea's throat out.

It had been three days since the Wind Stone was freed, yet Tarrion had not awakened yet. He had deliriously mumbled a few times in his sleep, but mostly he was quiet. The healers of Skaal Village had done what they could to help him and they had healed his ribs, yet it would take time for his body to mend itself.

In that time Frea had accused Serana of not feeling a thing for Tarrion, words that still echoed in her head.

"You're a Vampire! You only feed on him…. Why would you feel anything else for him?"

"HOW DARE YOU! We both went above and beyond for your damn people and-.."

"HE went above and beyond…. What did you do?"

"I helped protect you and I cared for him as best I could!"

"Oh, you can drop the act! He cannot hear you. You are a vampire that was lucky enough to find a gullible thrall. You are nothing but a bloodsucking-…"

"FREA! That is enough."

Storn had stopped her before she could do anymore harm, and told her to go back to her duties, and a good thing too. Serana's hands were already freezing with Ice spells that she charged, and Frea was ready to grab her axe. Storn's attempts at calming Serana were futile, and she had locked herself in the small house where Tarrion lay asleep.

She heard a deep breath and saw that Tarrion was waking up and immediately her anger disappeared. She took his hand and saw his eyes opening, and for the first time in days a slight smile appeared on her face.

Tarrion took another deep breath and grimaced slightly. His ribs had not fully healed yet. As he turned his head he saw the softly glowing eyes of Serana and felt her hands around his.

"Hey, you."

"Hey…. How… how do you feel?"

He grunted as he pushed himself up a bit. "Like a giant hit me with his club." He looked down to his chest and saw it covered with bandages and a soft scent of herbs came from it. "Damn…. I really need to stop waking up like this."

Serana smirked slightly and a small tear welled up in her eye, seeing that he would pull through.

"You though…" he said softly and he looked at her. "You seem like you weathered a bit. Was I that far gone?"

"No it-…" she sighed and her grip tightened a bit as her anger came back. "It's this Frea. She…. said some horrible things."

With difficulty she told him what happened between her and Frea, and a shadow came over his face as he listened.

"Did you kill her?" he asked after she stopped.

"…. Almost… her father intervened…. But it was very close. I.. I know you would probably have stopped me as well."

But he shook his head. "No I wouldn't have. Doubting the relationship between a mortal and a Vampire is one thing… but what she did… how you explained it. And after what we did for her and her people…"

Serana couldn't help but slime at the devotion that he showed her. "I see… well, I can still kill her, but I'll probably feel bad about it later."

"A touching sentiment," he chuckled.

A few hours later, with Tarrion fully dressed again, they walked out into the afternoon sun. Skaal Village was a peaceful village of a few dozen houses that were built closely together. The houses were build out of wood with roofs made from straw. All of the houses surrounded a single large house, the Great Hall, and some were built higher and others lower, yet all about the same size. It was a modest village, that had a sense of simplicity and peace… secluded from the rest of the world. It was built on the slopes of the mountains, and everything was covered in a layer of snow.

Tarrion saw that only a handful of people were up and about. One of them was Frea, but as soon as she saw them she walked behind a few houses and ignored them. A bit further up the mountain they saw a small house build against the rock and an old man sat in front of the door meditating. Tarrion recognized him to be Storn and together with Serana he walked up to the old man.

"Welcome Dragonborn," Storn said and his voice cracked almost as much as his old bones as he stood up. "I cannot thank you enough for saving our village."

Tarrion merely nodded.

"It seems we have not formerly met, given our earlier problem. I am Storn Crag-Strider. I am shaman of the Skaal and we are all greatly indebted to you… to the both of you," and he nodded at Serana. "If I or any of the Skaal can help you, we will do what we can. Just say the word."

"I will, thank you," Tarrion answered. "I do think you know why we are here."

Storn nodded. "Yes… you are here because of Miraak. You wish to stop him…. That is our wish as well."

"What can you tell us about Miraak?"

"Hmm… a difficult question," Storn answered slowly. "One that requires time to answer. But I can tell you, but let us go inside. These old bones crave a bit of warmth."

Inside a small house, which was nothing more than a dining area with a fireplace and two small bedrooms, they took a seat near the fire. It was built slightly lower than the rest of the house and as they sat on the floor boards, warming their hands and feet to the flames, Storn took a deep breath as he looked into the embers.

"You wish to know about Miraak?" he started and his voice had become softer, as if the walls had ears and he did not want anyone else to hear what he was about to say. "Hmm… his story is an old one. As old as Solstheim itself. Our legends say that when the All Maker first gave Solstheim to the Skaal, Miraak tried to claim it for himself. He built a great temple on the island, in defiance to the Dragons, his former masters."

"Miraak served the Dragons?" Serana asked surprised.

"That is what our stories say, yes."

"But… the last time the Dragons were in power was long ago. Thousands of years ago."

Storn nodded. "Yes… but the stories we have do not lie," and he turned to Tarrion. "They also say that Miraak was Dragonborn."

Serana immediately turned her head to him and widened her eyes. Tarrion had not moved, as this was not news to him. When he had met Miraak he had indeed claimed to be Dragonborn, and when his shade entered the world after the Dragon at Searing's Watch was killed, he absorbed its soul.

"What does this mean? That you are both Dragonborn?" Serana asked slowly.

"Perhaps that you are connected with him," Storn answered.

"I do not understand…" Tarrion said slowly. "Why would a Dragonborn serve the Dragons? They have never really been friends, since it is in the nature of the Dragonborn to protect mortals from the domination of Dragons."

"Our legends do not speak of his motivations," Storn answered. "But if he followed the Dragons so long ago, he must have had a reason. But he turned against his old masters… and the Dragons came to destroy him, and burn his temple to the ground…. They only succeeded in the latter, for Miraak himself somehow survived, but was pulled away from the world."

"What do you mean by that?"

But Storn shook his head. "I fear there is much that we do not yet know… perhaps it is not our destiny to know."

It was silent for a few moments, each of them occupied with their own thoughts. Tarrion knew it was of little use what Storn had told him… only legends and tales… nothing about how to stop Miraak here and now.

"This is not enough," he said. "We need to stop Miraak now… for once and for all. But he is not here… not on this world."

"This is true… but you seemed to have found a way to reach him," Storn answered. "Frea spoke of a book, and I have kept it hidden here."

He stood up and from a small chest that seemed to have been pushed far in the darkest corner of the house he pulled a book. The same Black Book that Tarrion had read, and it still looked the same, with black smoke oozing from its pages.

"I have kept it here for now," he continued. "but I will not do so anymore. I studied it and found that it is a dark and unnatural thing… not of this world. I will have nothing to do with it. It seems to be connected to Miraak… but its origin is unknown to me. It is not of the All Maker, that is certain."

Tarrion took the book from Storn and felt a strange urge to burn it and throw it away, yet also a strange urge to open it and read it. He understood it when Storn described it as dark and unnatural.

"It seems Miraak has sealed this Book, and you cannot read it to reach him again. Not until he is weakened enough."

"How are we supposed to weaken someone we cannot reach?"

Serana made a point here and Tarrion could not think of an answer.

"It seems that this is not the only Black Book on this world," Storn answered. "A short time ago a Dark Elf came to us. He asked us about Black Books, and if we have seen one or heard of one. We told him no. We use no magic of our own… as shaman it is my duty to only protect us from magic from outside."

"So this Dark Elf may know more about these Black Books?"

"If you wish to know more about them, then yes… he could be a help for you to begin your search."

"Then we will look for him," Tarrion concluded and he was about to stand up when Storn stopped him

"There is another thing we must speak of… a request that I have for you."

Tarrion sat back down and listened.

"You freed our people by destroying whatever dark magic took control of the Wind Stone. But there are other Stones on Solstheim… the Stones of Beast, Sun, Earth and Water… and these too have been corrupted. I must ask you to free those too…. Restore the Oneness of the Land, that they may no longer corrupt this island. You will find that the entire island will help you if you do. Man and Beast alike."

"One of the Stones stands in the centre of Miraak's temple," Serana mentioned and Storn nodded.

"The Tree Stone, yes. I do not think you can free it just yet… but it may be free once again when Miraak is defeated."

When Serana and Tarrion left the shaman's house they saw that the village was still empty and quiet. Only three people were up and they all leaned calmly against their houses, as if resting after a hard day's work.

"Where is everyone?" Tarrion asked. "I… I expected everyone to be happy and up and about after being freed."

Behind him Serana chuckled. "Expecting everyone to embrace you as their hero? They are resting. They could not sleep, remember? Every time they did, they would be drawn to the shrine until they would do it even when awake. Fenari… the tribe leader, told me that the Wind Stone was the first of the Stones to become corrupted. After you freed them, most of them fell asleep on the spot…. After we killed the monster that showed up."

"What?" Tarrion asked and he turned around. "A monster showed up?"

"Mhm," she nodded. "A large beast with tentacles for arms. I don't know what it was, but it attacked. But I killed it… and the bitch helped a bit too," she added mumbling. "But afterwards we helped the people get back to their houses and they fell asleep instantly. Most of them have only been awake for two hours before sleeping for the rest of the day."

"They will be fine though," she comforted him when he looked with concern at the houses. "They just need to catch up on some sleep. Give them a few days… maybe a week, and they will be back up again."

As they walked back to the small house that they were given for the time being Tarrion saw how Frea purposely avoided them and Tarrion had no intention to talk to her. Serana insisted on staying until the next day as she wanted Tarrion to take it easy for now.

"You had several broken ribs and yet you Shouted twice. Now you will listen and do as your betrothed tells you. As for you freeing the village… they cannot embrace you as their hero…. I however can and will… but not too tight," she added with a smirk. "You still need to heal."

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

So, that chapter took a bit. I had some exams so I had to study, of course.

As you noticed I added some extra conflict, between Serana and Frea. I found it weird that no-one comments on your companion in the game. Like… ever. Take an Orc to Solstheim? Sure… why not? A Dark Elf to Windhelm? Right this way…. So I'd say this was not random, but makes sense…. Sort of.

Dragon Language used:

JOOR ZAH FRUL: Mortal Finite Temporary (Dragonrend Shout)

GOL: Earth (from the Bend Will Shout)

I forgot to mention it again in the previous two chapters, but after this Arc, I plan on writing two intermission chapters. _Interview with the Werewolf_ and _Interview with the Vampiress._ If you have any questions that you would like to ask Tarrion or Serana or both, please let me know.

At any rate, I hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for the next chapter. Maybe I can release it around Christmas or new year.


	45. Dragonborn 6

**Dragonborn part 6**

 _-Raven Rock-_

After a long but light hearted journey Tarrion and Serana arrived in Raven Rock. They had decided to go back to the town first before looking for the Dark Elf that Storn spoke of, not only because they had their supplies there, but also because Raven Rock was still under the control of the dark spell that came from the Earth Stone and it's people needed to be freed and the stone cleansed. And neither of them had any idea where this Dark Elf was, or where they had to start looking. Storn only knew the name of this Elf, Neloth, and both of them remembered that they met someone at the Earth Stone that had the same name.

At Raven Rock they found it to be empty. Dust was piled up against the buildings and it looked like a ghost town, like no-one had been there in years.

"Hello! Anyone there?" Serana shouted, but there was no answer. "You don't think that everyone is at the Earth Stone… right?"

"That is exactly what I think…. Come on."

At the Earth Stone they saw that the entire town had gathered there. Men, women and children alike were chopping wood and swinging picks at the stones to hew them into shape.

 _Here do we toil_

They heard the chant again and it again send a shiver down their spines. This time however, they knew they could stop it, and as they neared the shrine Serana drew her sword.

GOL

Again that strange wave of energy escaped from Tarrion's mouth, and immediately the people stopped with what they were doing and looked around them, dazed and tired. The structure started to shake and crack and then it fell apart. From the pool of water Tarrion heard a roar, just like when he freed the Wind Stone, yet this time he also saw the creature that emerged.

It was almost as tall as a giant, yet its skin was slimy and had scales like a deep sea creature. Its head looked like the mutated head of a fish and its mouth was filled with sharp teeth. It had tentacles for arms and its tongue also seemed to be a large tentacle.

"I told you… a monster," Serana said as she readied herself and Tarrion agreed, yet there was something about this creature that seemed familiar, yet he could not place it.

The fight against the creature was short. Tarrion Shouted again and the creature's head was encased in ice. Trying to break free it stumbled backwards, but Serana sliced its leg and Tarrion drove his sword through the creatures chest. A muffled, gurgling cry was heard and the monster fell limp.

 _-the next day-_

It took a full day before anyone was able to have a normal conversation without falling asleep every minute. The second counsellor Adril Arano had thanked them over a hundred times and was able to give them some information regarding Neloth.

"Yes… he is a Dunmer wizard…. Highly respected back in Morrowind. I believe you can find him in Tel Mythrin. It's a small settlement to the east of the Island. Just follow the coastline eastward, then a bit north and you will find it. It looks like a large mushroom."

"He lives in a giant mushroom?" Serana asked with a slight snicker.

"I assure you that in Morrowind this is not unusual. The Telvanni wizards often make their houses out of giant mushrooms that they grow themselves."

When Serana and Tarrion left for Tel Mythrin the next day, half of the town was able to thank them and promised that they would always have a place ready for them. They both thanked them and left eastward toward the ashy plains.

As the terrain became more and more empty they put their masks on to protect themselves from the dust and ash, and they followed what looked like a road further east and north. They saw that the terrain was mostly empty, yet also they saw in the distance the ruins of an old fort, and further west more ruins that looked like there was a tomb buried beneath the ash.

"Is it just me, or is someone digging there?" Serana asked.

Tarrion looked but couldn't see anyone, and he assumed it was either the ash playing tricks on Serana's vision, or he just could not see it.

"I can't see anyone…. But if there is, let him dig. We have other things on our mind remember?"

Serana nodded and turned her back to the ruins and continued following the road to the northeast.

After many hours of walking they could see Tel Mythrin in the distance, and it seemd that Adril was right. it was indeed a large mushroom, or actually one very large one and two smaller ones next to it, yet both were as high as a tower. It stood on the rocky formations next to the sea, and it had full view of Red Mountain in the distance, still spewing smoke and ash.

As they arrived they found two Dunmer arguing outside. One of them seemed to be an apprentice and looked young, yet by Dunmer standards he was likely older than Tarrion. The other was a woman, who looked like she would be in her thirties by human standards, and she was furiously trying to tell the apprentice to stop. As she saw the two humans approach she stopped.

"Good afternoon," she started. "Who are you? What is your business in Tel Mythrin?"

"Afternoon," Tarrion answered. "We are looking for Neloth, a Telvanni wizard."

"You'll find him inside, but don't bother him for too long. He is a busy man… and has a lot on his mind."

They thanked her and followed her into the central mushroom. The Apprentice continued with his own affairs.

Inside they saw that it was a comfortable home… for someone that lived in a mushroom. It had a main hall, with several rooms adjacent to it. The wizard himself had just entered the hall with a cup of tea in his hand and he looked at the two that entered.

"Hmmm…. Quite fascinating," he said. "I recall seeing you two at Raven Rock… am I right?"

"True," Tarrion answered. "You pointed us to the Temple in the mountains."

"Ah yes," Neloth said and he started curling his goatee again. "Well… found anything interesting?"

He still spoke with the same posh accent, as a lord speaking to his servant.

"Yes. We found this…. Book there. We heard that you may know more about it."

Tarrion grabbed the Black Book from his backpack and showed it to Neloth. It seemed unchanged and the smoke still oozed from the pages. The Dunmer wizard was surprised, but delighted to see it, as if he had found something he lost.

"Ahhh, yes. Another Book. I have indeed one of these Black Books myself… yet I have been unable to identify its source as of now. Strange. A brilliant wizard such as I should be able to discern the origin and nature of such things without much difficulty."

Serana looked at how Neloth studied the book while still frantically curling his goatee, and she saw how he thought highly of himself. An arrogant man and she raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"Yes, well," she started. "We found this Book in the Temple, and after Tarrion read it he-…"

"You read it?!" Neloth blurted out and he stared at Tarrion for a few seconds. "Ah, yes… you have the look in your eyes. Do not deny it…. You have the look of one who has seen one of the Daedric Realms."

"The what?!" Serana blurted out and she looked at Tarrion. "Is that where you were?"

"I don't know," he answered questionably. "I don't know where I was, but if you say it was one of the Daedric Realms…. I won't say wasn't. It looked otherworldly."

Serana cursed it all in her mind. If the Daedra were involved she would face things she never wanted to face again. She had horrifying experiences with these beings… and even one of the Daedric Lords themselves, and she would do anything to avoid them. But she also knew she would follow Tarrion anywhere… and she would prove to anyone, and anything, that her love for him was stronger than all of them combined.

"Why of course, girl," Neloth remarked and he looked at Serana for two seconds before turning his attention to the Book again. "You think that mortals have the capabilities to create manifestations such as these Black Books? No… one of the Daedric Lords is involved here… but I have yet to discern which one. Something seems to block me from knowing it. But this only strengthens my resolve to know it!" and he straightened his back while curling his goatee like his life depended on it.

"There is but one way to find out who is behind this all… we will have to find out by entering the Book itself."

"We can't…" Tarrion remarked and Neloth looked at him like someone just spoiled his tea. "This book is sealed. We cannot enter it."

"But you said that you had one of these Books too, right?" Serana asked.

"Hmmm….. yes I do, but the book that I have has no relation to this power that is taking over Solstheim… assuming you two still want to stop that."

Neloth walked away to a large table which was filled with parchment, papers and notes. "Hmmm… yes…. The Dwemer might…. Nchardak…. Yes, a similar feel from it."

He rummaged through his papers and notes until he turned around. "We will have to go to Nchardak…. The Dwemer ruins to the northwest."

"I'm sorry, but what do the Dwarves have to do with this?"

"Everything, girl," Neloth answered her and already started packing a few items, including a strange cube. "Forbidden knowledge was something of a speciality of the Dwarves, hmm? They knew that there is more knowledge beyond this world and it seems that they had found a Black Book far before anyone else. They tried to read it, of course…. But no-one knows if it did them any good. But I have seen that Book and the power that emanates from it is similar to the power of this Book. It is likely that they are both linked to this Miraak….. fascinating isn't it?"

Tarrion and Serana looked at each other and they both thought the same. 'Oh so very fascinating… please, tell us more.'

Within the next half hour they left Tel Mythrin and journeyed to Nchardak. While they headed northwest and followed the path, Tarrion asked Neloth what he kew about the Black Books.

"Hmm…. Not as much as I should, perhaps. I studied them for years, but the answer of where they come from always eluded me… but no more! With your assistance I will finally be able to know who is behind this. And it will be the discovery of the century."

They also came across another of the Standing Stones. The Sun Stone and Tarrion shouted again and with Serana and Neloth to help, the monster that showed up was killed.

"This is fascinating…" Neloth remarked as Tarrion pulled his sword from the gut of the monster. "Are you the Dragonborn, or just some Nord who knows a few tricks?"

Tarrion sighed and Serana looked at him from the corner of her eyes. "Would it make a difference?"

"Would it-… Of course it would make a difference!" Neloth said in outrage. "It would make all the difference in the world! The stories say that Miraak was a Dragonborn as well…. But that aside, I wonder if I could take a sample of your blood. Pure for academic purposes… I want to see if your blood and the blood of a Dragon are similar or not. I would also like to know if a black soulgem would work on you. Since you have the soul of a Dragon, I wonder if you could be soul-trapped. And your vocal cords…. Does all that Shouting wear them down? Or the opposite?"

As Neloth started mumbling these questions, more to himself than actually to Tarrion, Serana looked at how he started curling his goatee again and came standing next to Tarrion.

"The only one that can have your blood is me," she whispered to him.

"Good," he smirked. "because it belongs to only you."

"… And your bones…. Do they have a similar structure and density as the bones of Dragons? And I wonder if a Dragon could be captured alive… it would make for a most fascinating test subject. You might be able to help me capture one and in return-…."

"No," Tarrion interrupted him. "You cannot do any of that. You cannot research me or my bones, vocal cords…. You cannot dissect me to research any of my organs…. But my blood you can have…. If you can take it."

Neloth was taken aback by this answer and after sizing the large Nord up a few times he turned around and continued the path, while mumbling something that sounded like 'problematic'. Serana and Tarrion walked a few metres behind him and she smirked at him.

"Is it bad of me to actually want to see him try?"

Tarrion smiled an only chuckled.

 _-A few hours later-_

"Ah… there it is."

The three travellers stood on a small overlook and in the distance they could see the Dwemer city of Nchardak. It was a large city…. Or it would be. The entire city had been reclaimed by the sea and only the highest areas and towers were still visible. A handful of golden domes peaked above the water surface and dotted the area where once a grand city was built.

"The book lies in the greatest of the towers… there in the centre of the city," and Neloth pointed at the largest of the domes. "No-one has been in there in centuries… except me, and I found something interesting on my last visit. Come…. Let's not waste any time."

"I would not recommend going near that place…. It is a place of death."

Behind them a familiar voice sounded and the three turned around, and Serana bared her teeth. Frea walked up to them from between a few trees and she held her hands up as a sign of peace. "I am not here to fight."

Serana gritted her teeth and her hands started to freeze with an ice spell she instinctively charged. "You have some nerve showing up here."

Frea had to swallow a remark and nodded. "You hate me… I can understand that. But I am here to help, as a way of apologizing."

"You cannot apologize for what you said!"

"… I know," Frea answered and she clearly tried her best to keep herself calm. "Yet I know this island better than anyone else, and I may still be able to help."

Both Tarrion and Serana were against the idea, but Neloth seemed fascinated again by the Skaal woman and quickly agreed. Eventually Tarrion conceded and said that she could follow them, if she could keep any remarks to herself and stay out of their way.

An hour later when they arrived at Nchardak they traversed the ancient ruins and the salty sea air filled their lungs. Serana had no idea how it was possible that the entire city would sink beneath the sea and wondered what kind of cataclysm could cause it. She doubted that it was the eruption of Red Mountain, as that would possibly have wiped the city away completely, reducing it to rubble and ash.

Eventually they arrived at the central tower, via the pathways and stairs that were still intact just above the water surface. Tarrion saw a large door, with a wrought-iron barrier in front of it.

"Ah, yes… here we are," Neloth said and he pulled the strange cube from his backpack. "The Dwemer of Nchardak seemed to have been fond of these 'control cubes'. They can activate certain mechanisms in the city like this door. I sealed it last time I was here to keep out ignorant meddlers…. Let me unlock it."

He placed the cube in a small pedestal next to the door. A few small mechanical sounds were heard and the wrought-iron barrier opened and the door was unlocked.

 _-Nchardak-_

Inside they found themselves in a large, circular room and large pipes filled with steam covered the walls. The ceiling was high and was covered with a metal dome. In the centre of the room they saw a small glass dish, and when they neared it they could see what was hidden under it.

The Black Book that they were looking for lay just underneath the glass. Its pages oozing with green and black smoke and a power almost like a siren's song came from it.

"So tantalizingly close," Neloth said, almost with a smile. "But trust me, no magic will open that. I would have had the Book already if it could. No… unfortunately we will have to do this the hard way."

"What do you mean?" Serana asked.

"There," and Neloth pointed at a small pedestal with a single button on it. "See that pedestal? It is my believe that that pedestal controls this glass protection. Press it, and it should open the Book's protective case. But there is no power in this room. We will have to supply this room with enough power so that I can open the case that hides this Book."

"Enough power?" Frea asked. "How?"

"If you would both let me speak, I can explain," Neloth said with a sigh and he started curling his goatee again. "Below this room is a large hall. There we will find four large boilers, each generating power. These boilers can be activated with a control cube such as the one I have here. All we need to do is get those boilers working again, and the Book should be accessible."

"Then we need to find three more cubes," Tarrion answered and took his eyes off the Black Book.  
"Four, actually…. The boilers have been flooded, just like most of the city, but if we activate one of the pumps, they should resurface again."

And so Neloth led them down a large elevator and a set of stairs… deeper down into the bowels of the city. They eventually entered a massive hall where, just like Neloth said, two large pumps controlled the flooding of the city, and on a large platform, some twenty metres below them, four massive boilers, each at least twenty metres high, stood silently… half submerged in the waters of the sea.

Neloth showed them how the pumps worked and after placing the control cube in one of the pedestals the old pump came to life and the waters lowered, revealing a new area of the city.

It was long and tiresome. Finding the cubes was easier said than done, as they were hidden in the city, each of them protected by the Dwemer automatons. Each of them activating and deactivating mechanisms. Each of them needed to unlock the other. Eventually they entered the lower parts of the city to find the last of the cubes and the ground was slick with algae and seaweed. It was dirty work and when Tarrion grabbed one of the cubes, deactivating one of the local pumps the water started to rise again, flooding the room and almost drowning Frea.

"Thanks for the help," she snarled at Serana who looked at how she climbed on dry land again.

"You didn't look like you needed any," she answered coldly.

And after they found the last cube and left for the main hall again, Serana grabbed one cube from one of the pumps before Frea had even made it all the way up.

Frea wanted to protest, but thought it wiser not to and after Serana gave her a sarcastic "Oops… I didn't notice that you were still down there." Tarrion quickly activated the boilers before things would escalate.

"Ah, yes…. That should do it," Neloth said happily after the last boiler came to life. "Now we need to get back upstairs and see if the Reading Room has steam. Then it should be a simple matter to release the book."

Back in the reading room they indeed saw that the room had come to life, and the mechanisms on the walls and ceiling were pumping again. Cobwebs had come down and a few spiders had run off to find a better place to make their home. Neloth immediately ran off to the pedestal and pressed the button.

Steam was released and after grinding wheels and pumping pumps the glass casing opened and the Black Book was raised.

"Finally… I hope it was worth it," Neloth smiled as he neared the pedestal. "Quite fascinating… this Book feels different than the one I have, yet if I am not mistaken it is similar to the one you have. Hmmm…"

He stared at the Book and took a step back and turned to Tarrion. "You should be the one to read it. Please be my guest."

Tarrion raised an eyebrow.

"My intentions are nothing but noble," Neloth said with a fake smile. "You should do the honors….. besides it could be very dangerous. These Books are known to drive people insane. And entering one of the Daedric Realms is not something that should be done lightly."

Serana turned to Tarrion and he saw the fear in her eyes…. But he smiled and calmed her. "Do not worry… I will come back. In one piece."

"Just…. Don't agree to anything… alright?"

Tarrion could understand her fear, and with her history with the Daedra, he headed her warning. He knew that the Daedra were mischievous at best, and malicious almost always, and he would be very careful when dealing with them.

"I will…. Besides," and he kissed her. "We still have a wedding to attend to."

Serana's smile gave him a bit more courage and he opened the Book.

Immediately green tentacles shot from its pages and wrapped themselves around his arms and neck, and he became transparent. Serana stood idly as her beloved was swallowed by something she despised and hoped with everything that she was that he would come back to her.

"What was he talking about?" Frea asked and she looked at Tarrion's motionless body. "What wedding?"

Serana did not answer immediately, but when she did she raised herself to her full length and with her head held up proudly she showed Frea the ring on her finger.

"Our wedding," she said and she stared the Skaal woman down. "We intend to marry each other."

Whatever answer Frea thought she would get, this was one she never expected. She blinked a few times while opening and closing her mouth… unable to say a word. Serana gloated as her opponent was defeated by this one statement and for a few moments she forgot about everything that had happened in the last days. She reminded herself of the fact that the man she loved had asked her to marry him, and she had answered with a wholehearted 'yes'.

"This is quite fascinating, though… isn't it."

Both woman had forgotten all about Neloth who now stood in front of Tarrion… staring and studying his motionless body. He seemed to have completely missed or ignored the exchange between them and was focused on how Tarrion seemed here… yet not here.

"Did this happen last time he read that book?" he asked and Frea nodded. "Interesting… that would suggest that he now exists at two places at once."

Neloth walked around Tarrion a second time and suddenly charged a small fire spell in his hand and let it pass through Tarrion's body.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Serana shouted but Neloth seemed to be fascinated by what he saw.

"Calm yourself, girl… he cannot be harmed now. It seems tha-…"

But he fell silent, and both women heard why. The echo of a roar came from outside and by the sound of it, it was no monster… but a Dragon.

 _-Apocrypha-_

When Tarrion opened his eyes he saw the same strange environment as last time he read a Black Book. The ground was littered with pages and scrolls. Everywhere he looked he saw walls… no, mountains of books as far as he could see. When he turned around he saw how there seemed to be water around him. But it was green and toxic and it seemed no life could be in it. He took a few careful steps and he heard whispers. When he looked up to one of the massive piles of books he saw one of the creatures that Miraak had controlled. It had not noticed him… or maybe it just ignored him and it delved through the endless amount of books.

As he continued he saw that the path lead to a shrine… far in the distance. And even further beyond that… he saw a massive tower looming over the endless plains of books and toxic waters.

"Hmmmm…"

A sound like a drum… deep and menacing chuckled and broke the silence that lay over the landscape. Tarrion instinctively drew his sword and when the voice spoke he clenched his teeth, for he knew whose voice it was.

"As I told you… when I gave you the Ogma Infinium; Your fee will is… an illusion."

"Hermaeus Mora…." And he saw the mass of eyes and tentacles form in front of him. "What is it this time?"

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

An old enemy of Tarrion… a Daedric Lord no less. He sure know how to pick his adversaries, doesn't he? But that concludes it for this chapter.

As with the previous chapters…. If you have any questions you want to ask either Tarrion, Serana or both… feel free to ask them, and I will see if I can't put them in the upcoming 'intermission chapters' " **Interview with the Vampiress/Werewolf** " that I will make after I finish this Arc.

 _Dragon Language Used:_

 _GOL: Earth (From the Bend Will Shout)_

I'll see to it that I finish this arc ASAP, but if I don't publish anything before the end of this year, I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Years.


	46. Dragonborn 7

**Dragonborn part 7**

 _-Apocrypha-_

Tarrion made his way through the unending maze and pathways of Apocrypha. The ground was littered with books and torn-out pages and scrolls beyond count. He had received a welcome from the Master of this place; Hermaeus Mora himself. The Daedric Prince of Fate and Knowledge.

Tarrion had dealt with a few Daedric Princes in the past, and he had learned to avoid them, yet now it seemed his path would again cross one of them, and Hermaeus Mora clearly remembered him.

As he made his way over the bridges and pathways of one of the Daedric Realms he could see on occasion a grotesque eyeball appearing and disappearing in the sky. He was being watched. The road led him upward to higher areas and after a while he arrived at a strange pedestal with a large Black Book.

… _careful before…._

… _too late…. Will not leave…._

He could hear voices echoing from the book, yet they did not seem to come from this place. He did not know where they came from, but he had no time to ask. A large mass of tentacles and numerous eyes appeared in front of him and although he could not see a mouth, he knew that Hermaeus Mora was smiling.

"Hmmm….. You thought to reject me…. And yet…. Here you are. This is Apocrypha, where all knowledge is hoarded."

Tarrion still held his sword in his hand and he had no intention of sheathing it. It would help little against one of the Daedric Princes, yet he held it anyway… out of defiance to this being.

"What do you want this time?"

"Hmmm…. It is not what I want that brought you here… but what you seek. And just like Miraak did eons ago…. Your journey in search of knowledge has lead you here to my realm… as I knew it would. And just like Miraak… you are Dragonborn… a Seeker of knowledge and of power."

"I did not come here to learn Miraak's secrets, Hermaeus," Tarrion said with clenched teeth. "I am only here to put an end to him."

"Hmmm… and just like before… you fail to realize that the one is the other. And for that… you'll need my help. You can spend a thousand lifetimes here, and you will still never find the secrets you need. So…. You will serve me, willing or not."

 _-Solstheim-_

"Barricade the door!"

Frea shouted and started grabbing and pushing anything she could find to block the large metal door. The roars had become louder and all three knew that a Dragon was approaching, and each of them knew it was no coincidence.

"A Dragon… how exiting," Neloth said happily and he started curling his goatee again. "We might be able to subdue him and I can run a few tests on him."

"Dammit old man! Help me push these rocks or cast a spell on the door… or something!"

Frea seemed to be in a panic now that she had to face a Dragon without Tarrion. She had seen how he was able to bring down the Dragon at Searing's Watch, while her attacks barely grazed the beast. Now Tarrion was in some far-off world and she had no idea how to bring the beast down.

Serana stayed calmer that her. She had faced a few Dragons with Tarrion, like Durnehviir, and she knew a few weaknesses by now… yet deep down she did feel a hint of nervousness. A Dragon was not to be trifled with and without Tarrion, it would be difficult at minimum. She looked at his transparent body kneeling motionless on the floor.

"Please, Tarrion. Whatever it is you're doing, hurry."

 _-Apocrypha-_

"I know what it is you want. To use your power as Dragonborn to bend the world to your will."

Tarrion wanted to protest to this accusation, but before he could his mind was filled with a sudden burst of knowledge and a new Word echoed through his head.

HAD

"Here then is the knowledge you need, although you did not know you needed it. The second Word of Power. Use it to bend the wills of mortals to your purpose. But… this is not enough. Miraak knows the final Word of Power… and without that, you cannot hope to surpass him."

Tarrion noticed how suddenly all the different eyes aimed at him, like Hermaeus Mora's full attention was now directed at him.

"Miraak served me well and he was…. Rewarded. I can grant you the same power that he wields, but like all things… knowledge has its price."

Tarrion could guess what it was and he saw a few of the eyes that were looking at him make a move that seemed like a nod.

"Indeed, mortal. 'Knowledge for knowledge'. The Skaal have withheld their secrets from me for many long years. The time has come for this knowledge to be added to my library."

"I doubt the Skaal are willing to give this up to you, Hermaeus," Tarrion answered bitterly. "If they have withheld this from you for so long, why would they give it up now?"

"Times change, mortal. And even the Skaal know that all things must change eventually. Miraak has forced their hand, and so will you… if it is your wish to surpass him."

"I do not want to surpass Miraak… I want him dead!"

"The one is the other," was the simple answer. "Send the Skaal shaman to me. He holds the secrets that will be mine."

"And what if they refuse?"

Tarrion could now hear a slight annoyance in Hermaeus Mora's voice. "My servant Miraak would have found a way… and I am sure you will too."

The large Black Book in front of Tarrion gave a slight pulse, indicating that if Tarrion would read it, it would take him back to the real world. He gave the mass of eyes and tentacles a last angry gaze and opened the book.

"Not so fast," and the Book slammed itself shut.

Tarrion looked up and now he knew that Hermaeus Mora was smiling to himself. "What is it?"

"I have another proposition for you…. One I am sure you will find… hmmm, interesting."

 _-Solstheim-_

Serana felt the heat that now came from the door. The room was shaking and the roars from outside had become deafening. The Dragon had landed outside and now tried to break down the door and its fiery breath slowly started to break through the door. A slight crack was already visible and a few flames pierced through the open area.

"Dammit… we can't stay here forever!" Frea shouted. "We will have to retreat to the lower levels."

"Speak for yourself," Serana said to her and she stood between the door and Tarrion's body. "I am not leaving him."

It was clear that Frea wanted to speak against it, but Serana's eyes were now so fierce it would seem her gaze alone could kill.

" _Hi nis filok_!"

The Dragon taunted them and Frea's face became pale when she heard the words. She could not understand them but she felt the power that came from the Dragons mouth and it terrified her.

" _Zu'u fen ni ru_!"

For a few seconds it was silent outside after Serana spoke those words and both Frea and Neloth looked at her with something that almost looked like awe. But behind the door the Dragon started laughing and it rammed its tail against the door. The metal warped and daylight now shone through the newly formed hole.

YOOR TOOR SHUL

A massive stream of fire burst into the room and Neloth conjured a powerful ward to protect himself and all behind him. Serana fired a few powerful Ice spells through the door, yet she could hear them break and shatter against the hard scales. Another laugh came from the Dragon and its head rammed itself through the opening. Quicker than the Dragon could react Frea circled around the ward and using the rocks she launched herself toward the head. The Dragon roared in pain when her axe rammed itself against its neck and it quickly pulled back.

"NOW!" Frea shouted and for once Serana agreed with her. Rushing after her she jumped into the open air.

The Dragon had left a trail of blood on the ruins outside and everywhere they looked the ground was blackened and scorched. The blood trail ended suddenly and they knew that it had taken to the skies again. A roar rent the sky apart again and the Dragon appeared behind them and landed on the roof of the tower.

"When Miraak returns, all will bow to him," and it breathed fire again.

Yet this time it also howled in pain. Serana could see the blood still dripping from its neck and she saw that Frea had severed an artery near its throat.

'Good,' she thought to herself and ducking away from another Shout she fired a powerful Ice Spell at the wound. It hit its mark and the Dragon roared in pain again. Neloth had also climbed out of the tower ruins and saw what she was doing, and immediately fired a Thunderbolt at the wound.

"Well spotted, girl," he said happily.

The combined effort of both Serana and Neloth were able to force the Dragon to land. It knew it could not Shout again without ripping its own throat apart, and it saw that it was outnumbered. Frea ducked under its jaws and sliced the beast again, after which both Neloth and Serana fired a flurry of spells at the wound and not long after the Dragon roared again and fell dead on the ground.

Still in awe of their kill both women neared the dead Dragon and Frea panted. Her armour was damaged and blood stained her hair. The Dragon's corpse started to glow and it then burst into flames, and for a moment Serana thought that Tarrion was standing behind her. But when she turned around she only saw the shade of Miraak…. Smiling at her.

"It seems I have underestimated you, Daughter of Coldharbour."

Serana did not respond but Frea looked at her in surprise. "Daughter of what?"

"Interesting though," Miraak continued. "That someone would give his heart to such a monster. Or is he just using you for your body? Or maybe it is the other way around."

Serana gritted her teeth and her hands were freezing with Ice magic she wanted to fire at him.

Miraak chuckled and with one hand raised he absorbed the soul of the Dragon. "A pity… such a good beast send to the slaughter. But he was hardly your first slaughter, was he?" and with another laugh he disappeared into the thin air.

Frea stood silent and even Neloth knew not to respond to the exchange. Serana ignored their stares and entered the tower where Tarrion had just returned.

"Wha-…. What happened here?"

Tarrion looked around at the destruction left by the Dragon, but when he saw Serana's face he stopped moving. He could see the anger and pain in her eyes as she stared at him.

"Tell me you're going to tear Miraak apart, limb from limb."

 _-Skaal Village-_

Something was off… Serana knew this. At first she wat too angry to notice but after a while she started to see just how quiet Tarrion was. She gave him a few concerned gazes and he would smile at her, but she saw it was not a confident smile. He was trying to ease her mind, but it had not helped. Something had happened to him while he was in Apocrypha.

After Tarrion had returned to Solstheim they returned to Skaal village. Neloth had asked Tarrion a number of questions about the Book, yet Tarrion seemed to be lost in thought most of the time. The old wizard then returned to Tel Mythrin saying he should be able to locate more of these Black Books. Serana hoped that she would never see these accursed books ever again.

Frea had lead the way and something about her was different as well. When Miraak had mentioned that Serana was a 'Daughter of Coldharbour' Frea had asked what that meant, but Serana had refused to answer. Neloth seemed to know what it meant, but had said nothing… out of fear for Serana or for another reason. But now Frea walked ahead, also lost in thought.

Arriving at Skaal village they saw that everyone was up and about. People were tanning hides or carrying wood for fires. They saw one sitting on a large wooden block repairing his bow and in front of the great hall they saw a strong woman standing.

"Ah, Frea…. You return. What news is there?"

The woman was a bit taller than Frea and she had long brown hair. Her brown eyes were bright and pierced through the falling snow and her voice was strong.

"Fenari… yes we have returned from the Dwarven ruins," Frea answered and it was clear she was talking to her chieftain. "We have found another of these Books there and Tarrion has made it clear he needs to speak to my Father."

Fenari looked at Tarrion and Serana. "I cannot thank both of you enough. You have saved our people from darkness. Forgive me for not thanking you sooner… I found myself unable to stand after you freed us from the Dark Spell."

Both gave her a nod, but Tarrion did not smile at her. "We need to speak to Storn… it is urgent."

"He is in his hut," Fenari answered. "Meditating I think."

They found Storn in his hut drinking tea, and when the three companions entered he smiled.

"Ah… I see that you've returned safely, Frea."

"I have, Father. And it seems your wisdom is needed again."

"Of course," the old man said calmly. "What can I do to help."

Without asking Tarrion grabbed one of the chairs and sighed as he sat down. "I need to know the Secrets of the Skaal."

It was silent for a few moments. Storn froze when he heard those words and Serana looked at him like she did not understand. Frea on the other hand first was surprised, but then narrowed her eyes in anger.

"What?"

"I do not understand why you would ask this of me," Storn said slowly.

Tarrion sighed again and explained. "I read the Black Book at Nchardak. It took me to Apocrypha… the realm of Hermaeus Mora. He explained that Miraak was his servant, but he had grown 'restless'. He told me that I needed a Shout that would force even Dragons to obey my command. I learned the first Word already at Searings Watch, and he gave me the second Word. But the final Word…. He refused to give it… unless-.."

"… Unless you bring him the Secrets of the Skaal," Storn finished his sentence and he nodded.

"You don't sound surprised," Tarrion remarked when he saw no shock on Storn's face.

"We have many tales in which old Herma-Mora tries to trick us into giving up our secrets to him. He is our oldest enemy… and he has long sought the secrets which we have kept from him…. Much to his anger."

"Forgive me," Serana intruded. "but why would a Daedric Prince want to know your secrets? Unless they are dangerous or give Hermaeus more power…. Why would they be of any interest to him?"

And Storn chuckled, much to the surprise of Tarrion and Serana.. and to the frustration of Frea who needed to force herself to stay calm.

"You are right… our secrets are not dangerous or of great consequences if wildly known. They are simply ways of reading the earth. How to listen to the wind, how to understand the land and maintain the Oneness of it. But the one you call Hermaeus Mora…. We know him simply as Herma-Mora… the Demon of Knowledge. The value of our secrets means little to him, but the mere fact that we have kept this knowledge from him has angered him and has only increased his desire to have it."

A slight smirk was now clearly visible on Storn's face, who seemed almost proud that his people were able to outsmart a Daedric Lord.

"He said it was the only way of knowing the third Word of Power…" Tarrion said. "and the only way for me to defeat Miraak."

"And so, it falls to me to decide whether or not to finally give up our secrets… or to die with them."

"Is there no other way?" Serana asked and she looked at Tarrion, but he shook his head.

"If there is, I don't know of it."

"This is madness!"

Frea shouted the words as her anger boiled over. "You cannot ask us to give up what we have kept save for generations. The Skaal have been here since the All Maker gave Solstheim to us. We will not bow down just because you ask it of us!"

"I am not asking it," Tarrion answered calmer than Serana expected. "I am simply conveying the message; 'This is the bargain Herma-Mora offered'. There is no other. I bring the Secrets of the Skaal and in return he gives me the knowledge to…. Defeat Miraak," he concluded.

"Do you really think that we would be left alive? As soon as Herma-Mora has what he wants he will kill us all! We have no value to him if we give up our Secrets!"

"I do not think he will suddenly change that bargain."

"I'm not so sure about that, Tarrion," Serana intruded. "The Daedra are never friendly, and always work to serve their own interests. They don't care about morals. They are malicious all the time and cruel most of the time."

"True, but Hermaeus does not kill at random."

"How can you be su-…" but Frea stopped when she looked at him and her mind went rapid. "Unless….. you have met him before."

Tarrion did not look at her, but that alone told her enough. "You have?"

"I have read his Oghma Infinium," Tarrion answered calmly.

Serana was not surprised by this, since she knew already. Tarrion kept nothing from her and she knew that he also possessed the Dawnbreaker sword and Azura's Star, from the Daedric Princes Azura and Meridia. When Tarrion had told her she did not know what to think, but since Tarrion had locked them both away she saw no need to be angry about it. She knew he would not be influenced by any of the Daedra and these artefacts were claimed by him long before he had met her.

"What are you?" Frea asked in outrage. "An agent for the Daedra?"

"Be careful!" Tarrion answered sharply and looked Frea dead in her eyes. "I do not work for them, or represent them. I dislike the Daedra just as much as you… I just have the experience to know just how powerful and dangerous they are."

"That doesn't matter," Serana interrupted them. "We know what Hermaeus wants," and she looked at Storn who had his eyes closed in meditation. "The only question is… will we give it to him?"

All now looked at the old man who sighed when he opened his eyes.

"No."

Tarrion had hoped that Storn would see reason yet it seemed he would not, and he tried to reason with him.

"You have to understand… it is the on-…"

But Storn raised his hand and Tarrion stopped talking.

"I will not give him what he wants…. I cannot."

Storn walked to one of the windows that looked out over the village. He saw how the snow slowly fell down, covering the houses in a white blanket. All three saw that he looked old, but only now did he look tired and Frea came standing next to him.

"Father?"

Storn seemed to wake from a sort of trance and he turned around.

"The land is still corrupted. You have freed most of the All-Maker Stones, yet two still remain. The Tree Stone cannot be freed yet, but the Water Stone, north of Raven Rock settlement, is still corrupted."

"If I free the last Stone…. Will you reconsider?" Tarrion asked.

"No… there is more to this corruption. The Stones are conduits of this dark power… yet I sense that it comes from somewhere else on this island. Not the Temple… but from other places."

He seemed to think for a few moments before he looked up again. "Speak with Tharstan. He is not of the Skaal, but a Scholar from the Continent. He is here to learn about the history of Solstheim, and he might be able to help you with this. Ask him if he knows anything about Miraak before his fall… if not…. Ask him about an old tomb. He'll know what you mean."

Serana and Tarrion left the Shaman's hut and both thought about what Storn had said.

"It seems we're off for a wild goose-chase again," Serana remarked. "But this Tharstan… I know him. He was also under the influence of the Wind Stone before you freed it. I think the Skaal have given him a room in the Great Hall."

She turned around and saw Tarrion standing still, staring at the ground.

"Tarrion?... Tarrion!"

"Hmm? What? Sorry, I was…. Lost in thought."

"You have any ideas?"

"No… I… I don't think so. But, sorry. Where was this Tharstan?"

"Great Hall…. I think."

He nodded and walked toward the Great Hall with Serana looking at him with a slight suspicion in her eyes.

They found Tharstan sitting behind a small table frantically writing in his journal. He looked up when the two entered.

"Ah… I don't think I have ever thanked either of you properly."

He jumped up and walked toward the two and shook their hands. "Thank you for saving us from that mind-controlling spell. I am indebted to the both of you. If there is anything I can do to help… just let me know."

Tarrion looked at the old man. He was quite short for a Nord, and he had short grey hair and a short grey beard. His wrinkled face smiled at the two and his old, bony fingers still held the quill that he used to write.

"You might be able to help us with something, yes."

"Anything, my dear boy… anything."

"What do you know about Miraak? Before his fall, that is."

Tharstan's smile disappeared and he stroked his chin.

"Hmmm… that is a difficult question. I do have a book that could describe something about him, and I am fairly sure that it is actually Miraak that the book tells about. I have numerous notes on the history of Solstheim, I plan to write a book about it, yet most of it the developments of the last few decades or maybe the last two centuries. If I am to believe the legends, the story of Miraak is several millennia old."

"So you don't know where we might start looking?" Serana asked.

"Hmm, no… unless. Perhaps there is something here…."

Tharstan rushed to a large chest. When he opened it Tarrion saw a large number of scrolls and a pile of parchment… all of them had notes scribbled on them.

"Yes, I might have some-… no, not that one. You see last month, right before the first people started to be entranced by the Wind Stone, there was a small earthquake."

Tharstand continued to rummage through the papers and pulled an old book from the bottom of the chest.

"Aha! There you are," he said happily and he turned around. "That earthquake opened the entrance to an underground tomb. I visited it numerous times and I would be able to draw a map just from memory, I know it that well. I believe that tomb might be linked to Miraak."

"What makes you say that?" Tarrion asked.

"Because of this book," Tharstan answered and he handed the book over. Tarrion saw the title and saw it was the same book that Urag had send from the College of Winterhold.

 _The Guardian and the Traitor_

"You see…" Tharstan continued. "This book describes a battle of immense proportions between two powerful rivals. The Guardian and his foe 'the Traitor'. This tells of a time when Dragons still ruled the world so it is an incredibly old story. But the legends of this Miraak are also millennia old… it might be the same character. This Miraak might have been 'the Traitor'."

"So what does it have to do with this old tomb?" Serana asked.

"Because of the Priest that was buried there. I found a few murals inside and was able to translate a name. 'Vahlok', and Vahlok, in Dovahzul, the language of the Dragons, means-.."

"Guardian."

Tharstan looked at Serana. "Yes… quite right. You know the Dragon Language?"

Serana looked at Tarrion and smiled. "I have a good teacher."

"Ah… yes, of course. What better teacher than the Dragonborn himself? Well… then I hope you understand why I think this tomb is important. Vahlok is the Guardian from this book… then who is the Traitor? We know that according to the legends Miraak turned against his masters, the Dragons. It would only make sense that he is the Traitor that Vahlok fought."

"And you think that we might find answers in this tomb?" Tarrion asked.

"I do. These ruins have been hidden for gods know how long. The earthquake happened only a month ago and those ruins have been unexplored by anyone. I have set foot in only the first few corridors, but I have been unable to go any further…. Not only out of fear of what might dwell there," he admitted.

Both Serana and Tarrion knew that this tomb would be worth looking in to and so they agreed to leave the next morning. As they walked to the house that the Skaal gave them Serana saw a worried look in his eyes.

"A septim for your thoughts?"

Tarrion continued to stare at the snow as they walked on. And only after they reached the house did he answer. "I…. I'm just thinking about…. What Frea said. Am I becoming an agent for the Daedra?"

"No," and Serana's face turned sour at the notion. "You're not, Tarrion. The Daedra have a way of manipulating people and Frea is just scared. She wants to protect her people and we are still outsiders. But you are a good man, Tarrion. I have spent several years with you to back up that claim, not to mention the countless things you've done for others. The numerous people you've saved. The times you have put your own needs aside for others."

"Serana… I-.."

"No," and her voice softened as they entered the house and closed the door behind them. She looked him in his eyes and softly calmed him. "I know you, Tarrion. I know you will never do anything that would hurt me, or anyone else. You want to help these people, even if they do not see it. Hermaeus Mora is a temporary and necessary evil. A means to an end. And as soon as we are done with all this, we will leave this island and go on a vacation."

A slight smile appeared on Tarrion's face and Serana answered it. "You still want to leave Skyrim for a time… just the two of us?"

"Just the two of us," she nodded. "I want to go somewhere far away from Skryim. Maybe we can go to Elseweyr… or Valenwood. I hear the trees there are massive and they have entire cities build in them. Maybe we can go see the oceans… where it is not freezing. Our lake is nice… but… I'd love to see more of the world. But most of all…. I'd love to see more of the world with you. The entire world can be put on hold for a time. Tell them to solve their own problems for a change."

"How will the world survive?" Tarrion chuckled.

"No-one should carry the entire world on their shoulders," and she laid her hand on his cheek. Her hand was cold on his skin, but soothing and he felt how a tremendous weight fell off his shoulders. "And after we come back… after we have seen more of the world…. You will tell all the women in Skyrim that I am your one and only."

She gave him a soft but intimate kiss. She had her eyes closed as she embraced him and she felt how a tear fell against her skin, but she knew it had to be a tear of happiness. On these moments even the strong and powerful Dragonborn could show his most human side and she loved him for it.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

This is what I meant when I said that this arc opened up a lot of opportunities. That mysterious proposal that Hermaeus Mora gave Tarrion…. Vahloks tomb… multiple sources of the dark influence. There is more to come.

Also Tarrion has been teaching Serana a few things about the Dragon Language. Not much, but she knows a few words here and there. Her voice doesn't have the same power to it though. For that, you need to have studied it for a much longer time.

But that is it for this chapter. Stay tuned for the next one. It might take a bit longer though. I have some more exams coming up and I'll have to devote some more time on that first.

Dragon Language used:

 _Hi nis filok:_ You cannot hide

 _Zu'u fen ni ru:_ I will not run.

As with the previous chapters. If you have any questions you want to me to ask Serana and Tarrion in the upcoming intermission chapters **Interview with the Vampiress/Werewolf** , let me know.


	47. Dragonborn 8

**Dragonborn 8**

"Ah… there you are. Ready to go in?"

"Yes. Lead the way."

Tarrion and Serana had finally reached the tomb where Tharstan claimed Vahlok was buried. It was a few miles south southeast of Skaal village and it was difficult to find. Tarrion could see why no-one had found it till now. The entrance was not visible, yet one of the corridors had caved in and they found themselves now traversing the dark hallways of a place where no-one had set foot in centuries.

The place was no different however from any other Nordic tomb that Tarrion or Serana had entered before and they saw the murals that Tharstand had no doubt researched. Most of them were weathered and broken, yet many of them were still intact and Serana could indeed see roughly hewn lines of text and imagery.

After a short walk they arrived in a massive cavern. They could see a small overlook at the edge of a large abyss but there seemed to be no way across. On either side of the hall they saw two more pathways that lead to new halls and corridors. On the floor they could see several Draugr lying. In the centre of the hall, a few metres below them, they saw a deep pit with an fire that seemed to burn out of itself. A small pedestal was placed in front of it.

"Ah, here we are," Tharstan said. "This is as far as I made it last time. Look. There are two paths that lead in either direction. If we figure out this Riddle of Fire I am sure we can pass. But I have been unable to do so."

He lead them to the pedestal and looked at a small tablet that lay on it. "There is writing on this in the Dragon Language. I was able to translate enough to know that a sacrifice is needed to continue, but I don't know what kind of sacrifice. I threw a few objects of little value to me in the fire, but nothing happened. Then I threw in my most treasured book, thinking it would only be triggered by something of value, but still nothing happened. I think something else is required, blood or even a life."

Tarrion looked at the flames and came standing next to Tharstan. He could read the riddle and saw that Tharstan was right. A sacrifice was indeed needed.

 _To all those trespassing, read these words and take heed._

 _A sacrifice of flesh and bone will bring you closer to what you seek._

"You are right," he said to Tharstan and he nodded. "A sacrifice is needed… but one of flesh and bone."

"We'll I'm not about to throw myself into the fire," Serana said sardonically.

"Neither am I," Tarrion concurred and they both looked at Tharstan who immediately went pale.

"Now… Now ho—hold on just a second!"

"Stay calm," Tarrion chuckled. "I am sure we can just use one of the Draugr that are lying about."

This was correct and after Tarrion dragged one of the corpses to the pit and threw it into the flames, there was a deep rumble and the gates on both side of the cavern opened up. Tharstan sighed in relief and seemed to be more than glad that the he would not be thrown into a fiery pit.

"Good… good. It looks like we can head in either direction. Eh, you two seem to know what you are doing so you'll lead."

The dungeon was no different than Tarrion had seen before, beside that it had a few extra corridors and even a few puzzles that they needed to solve. The corridor lead them to a large hall, yet not as large as the central cavern, and they found a Word Wall and Tarrion learned another Word of Power.

MID

Tharstan ran to the Word Wall and saw the inscriptions on them.

"Hmm…. Yes fascinating…. This wall seems to tell a story. I can make out a few words here… It seems to tell the story of a 'Guardian' who gained honor in life… Yet death was his reward? Strange."

Tarrion came standing next to him and read the words carefully. "It tells the story of Vahlok… the Guardian. _Here lies the Guardian who gained much glory. For his eternal loyalty he joined the dead with great honour._ It seems that Vahlok was indeed fiercely loyal to the Dragons and he was given an honourable death."

"Ah… I see," Tharstand mumbled and he quickly scribbled a few words in his journal. "You'll have to teach me a bit more about the Dragon Language… I cannot make out half the words here."

"Hmm… maybe later. For now, let's continue."

Next to the Word Wall they found a small pedestal and a strange object lay on it, but both Serana and Tarrion recognized it as a Dragon Claw. They had seen them before, except this one was broken in half. Serana picked it up since it would likely be useful later.

When they returned to the main hall, the other corridor led to a similar Hall where they found another Word Wall and Tarrion learned another Word.

VUR

Tharstan grabbed his journal and waited for Tarrion to translate the inscription, since he knew by now that he was not as well versed in the Dragon Language as him.

"Hmm… this is interesting!" Tarrion said after reading. " _This stone commemorates the valour of the Guardian, noble servant of the Dragons. Whose fate it was to defeat the treacherous Miraak…_.. You were right Tharstan. Vahlok did indeed fight Miraak and even defeated him."

"Then how is he still alive nowadays?" Serana asked.

"Maybe that is where the Skaal legends come in play," Tharstan pointed out. "They say that right before Vahlok was about to destroy Miraak, he was pulled away from this world. The Book 'The Guardian and the Traitor' claims that it was the Daedric Prince of Knowledge himself; Hermaeus Mora."

"The legends are correct," Tarrion mumbled to himself but Tharstan heard him.

"Hmm? How do you know?"

"Ah. A long story. Too long for here and now. Let us continue."

Next to the Word Wall they found the other piece of the Dragon Claw and when Serana put them next to each other, they melted together and became whole again.

Returning to the main cavern they saw that the small overlook that stood at the edge of a massive abyss had a small slot in which a Dragon Claw would fit. Serana wasted no time in using it and placed the Claw in the slot. Immediately something happened that none of them had seen before.

With a flash a blue platform appeared at the edge of the overlook. Then another…. And another… only for the first one to disappear. They seemed to be made from pure magical energy and they lead toward the other side of the abyss. There were only two at a time, the first disappearing as the third one appeared. They only lasted a few seconds before fully disappearing and after the last platform had vanished the claw fell out of the slot.

"It seems we'll have to cross this chasm here," Tharstan accurately pointed out and he looked down. "That is a long way down. Whoever dares to pass this has nerves of steel."

"Or they can fly," Tarrion said and he also looked down. "One misstep and you'll fall way down. There is no way anyone can survive that. You'll have to be crazy to even-…"

With a flash the first platform appeared and Tarrion watched in horror as Serana ran to the first platform. It was just about to disappear as leaped over it and landed on the second one.

Serana now jumped from platform to platform… reacting as fast as the platforms appeared. With a last jump she arrived at the other end of the chasm and as she turned around, the platforms reappeared. But this time they did not disappear and they formed a blue bridge from the overlook to where Serana was now standing. The claw fell from its slot.

Serana waited for both of them on the other side and had a wide smile on her face as she saw Tarrion's look of horror and anger.

"Dammit, woman," he panted as his heart was racing in his chest. "Will you not scare me like that again?"

"Have a little faith, Tarrion. I can't let you have all the fun," and she patted him on his chest. "Come on… chop, chop. I doubt this was the last of the puzzles of this place," and she turned around and walked further into the tomb.

"She is your wife?" Tharstan asked and he held the Claw in his hand.

"No…. not yet," Tarrion answered.

"Well, I can see who wears the armour in the relationship."

"Shut up."

A few corridors later they came across another cavern and again Serana was the one to traverse it, since she would not take no for an answer and Tarrion saw that she was able to cross the cavern with little effort. He also realized that even if she would fall, she would be able to transform into a cloud of bats and fly to safety. He on the other hand would only able to save himself from the fall by using a Shout, but climbing back would be a different story.

After a third large cavern they arrived at a large Nordic puzzle-door and after they used the correct symbols Tharstan placed the claw into the slot and the door opened. Behind the door there was a massive hall. The ceiling was not visible, despite the large sconces filled with fire that illuminated almost everything. Rows and rows of sarcophagi were placed in niches and there was a large, shallow basin filled with water in the middle of the hall. At the far end they saw another sarcophagus, different from the others. It was ornamented, with imagery covered in gold-leaf and a large stone slab with inscriptions closed the coffin. Right behind that they saw another large Word Wall, but Tarrion knew they would not reach it before dealing with the host of this place. He drew his sword and readied a powerful Ward Spell in his left hand.

"I… I hope you'll don't mind if I stay here," Tharstan said with a small voice, and he took a few steps backwards. "I'll follow you in once I know for sure that the coast is clear."

He did this not a moment too soon, because just as he stepped outside the hall, the door closed again and Tarrion and Serana were trapped in the hall. A massive rumble echoed throughout the entire Tomb and a voice thundered from the sarcophagus.

WO VODREMT DII PRAAN

The stone slab cracked as the one underneath it tried to break free.

MIRAAK

With a burst of fire and lightning the stone slab shattered to pieces and the Dragon Priest rose from his grave.

His mask was pure white and seemed to be made from ivory. His robes were plated with gold and his bony hands held a staff that was made from ebony. The head of his staff had the shape of a Dragon's head with rubies as eyes. Behind the mask two fiery eyes glared at his enemies.

ZU'U FEN GRUNZ HI ONT ZOS

With a flash Vahlok summoned a huge fire-stream and he tried to blast Tarrion away. Tarrion was able to summon his Ward before being incinerated but the impact alone pushed him back a few steps. The stones beneath his feet cracked under the pressure of the spell. Serana came to his aid and fired a few Ice Spears at the Priest, who was forced to summon his own ward, which gave Tarrion enough time to regain his balance and he fired a large Fireball at his opponent. Vahlok was now forced to go on the defence, but this did not take long.

GANOG

With a burst of blue flames he threw Tarrion and Serana backwards and he slammed his staff on the ground.

BO WAH DII AAK

A tremor came from where the Priest stood and a deep rumble echoed through the hall. The sarcophagi opened and over forty Draugr stepped from their graves. Each of them drew their swords and cried with voices of death at the two trespassers. Tarrion immediately summoned two Drermora who proceeded to cut the onrushing Draugr down. Serana summoned a Gargoyle and for a few moments it seemed that they would stand a chance. But soon Serana's Gargoyle was killed and Tarrion's Dremora were swarmed by the Draugr's sheer numbers. Vahlok noticed this and uttered a deep and rasping laugh.

HI FEN DIR

The Draugr slowly closed in. Tarrion and Serana were unable to reduce their numbers because as soon as one fell, Vahlok would resurrect them again. His staff would glow with a pale blue and the rubies would light up.

"We need to get rid of that staff!" Serana shouted as she cut down a few more Draugr.

"I can't get close to him!" Tarrion shouted back but then he got an idea.

With both hands he sprayed fire on the floor, and the bodies of the Draugr were incinerated as they tried to cross the wall of flames.

"Follow me when you're ready!" and after those words he Shouted again.

WULD NAH KEST

Fast as the wind he flew past the Draugr and stopped right in front of Vahlok, who did not expect a move like that. Unable to react in time he was forced to raise his staff to deflect Tarrion's sword. Tarrion immediately noticed that at close range Vahlok was at a disadvantage, and he circled around the undead Priest till he had his back to Serana.

"NOW!"

With the sound of many flapping wings and screeching of bats, Serana transformed into a cloud of bats and mist and reappeared behind Vahlok and sliced him over his back, piercing the golden armour. Vahlok wailed in anger and turned around to strike her. But Tarrion was quicker and he grabbed Vahloks staff, forcing him off his balance and with a mighty strike he severed the staff in two.

A massive shockwave caused all the Draugr to drop to the ground and their bodies lay motionless. With a cry Vahlok teleported and reappeared at the other end of the hall.

HI FEN DIR MIRAAK

"Zu'u los ni Miraak!"

Tarrion shouted the words at Vahlok…. Who stopped. For a few seconds he did not move and only looked at his two opponents. Tarrion stood near the other end of the basin, opposite of Vahlok and Serana had jumped on the sarcophagus and was ready to fire all her spells at the Priest if he would move.

" _You are not Miraak?_ "

Tarrion saw how Vahlok seemed to calm, but he had no intention of sheathing his sword as he did not trust the Priest. Vahlok's eyes started to douse a bit as the fire within him calmed and he lowered his hands.

" _Who are you then?_ "

" _I am Tarrion. I am here to find a way to destroy Miraak._ "

" _Yet, you are Dovahkiin… just like him,_ " Vahlok answered. " _But…. He is your enemy?_ "

" _Yes._ "

" _Then we share a common purpose. I shall call the enemy of my Enemy 'Friend'._ "

The priest now fully lowered his hands and approached the two combatants and he hovered a few inches above the water in the basin. " _Let us speak._ "

"What does he want?" Serana asked as she looked at the Priest. She was only able to catch a few words from the conversation, yet she did not fully understand what was said.

"Later," Tarrion said quickly and he took a few careful steps down to the basin.

"What are you doing?" Serana almost yelled as she saw how Tarrion was only a few metres away from Vahlok.

" _You wish to destroy Miraak, is it not? Why?_ " Vahlok asked him.

" _He tried to kill me… and he threatens Solstheim once more. If he returns… he will destroy the island… and more._ "

Vahlok seemed to think. " _Then why have you come here, to my resting place?_ "

" _I am here to find answers. How you defeated him, and how I might do it again. But this time he must die._ "

" _Agreed. In my lifetime he was a danger after he was seduced by the Dark One, and he killed many on his quest for power. I was send to destroy him, but I was unable. He was pulled from this world before I could. I was only able to end his reign temporarily._ "

" _How did you defeat him? Tell me how, so I can end him permanently._ "

Vahlok shook his head. " _His power and knowledge have likely grown in the ages he was gone. If he is able to return to the world… I fear you will not be able to stop him. But… you might succeed in weakening his grasp over the island._ "

" _How?_ "

" _Hmm…. In life many served my Masters. But many of them betrayed us and followed Miraak. The strongest of them are here… on the island. They are Priests like me, yet of lesser strength. They still serve him, even in death. I killed them and sealed their bodies in tombs… but I know they would return. I have been charged with defending this island from them…. And Miraak. Untill my purpose is fulfilled, I cannot leave._ "

" _Then where are these acolytes? I will find them and I will destroy them. I have destroyed their kind before._ "

Vahlok looked at Tarrion and saw that there was power in him. Power enough to do as he claimed. " _Hmm… Perhaps. I will tell you were they are. Destroy them, before you confront Miraak. Destroy them, and his influence will diminish… but only for a time. He will try to return, and so you must destroy him in his own realm._ "

Vahlok looked again at Tarrion and he saw that there was a chance that he could indeed defeat Miraak. A Dragonborn of considerable power and enough knowledge stood before him and he knew that Miraak would be challenged by this.

" _There are three Acolytes here on the island. Zahkriisos is one. He lies buried beneath the mines filled with Black Stone. Dukaan.. the most loyal of the three… He lies in a barrow to the north of here, in the frozen glaciers of the island. And Ahzidal… the most bitter of them all. He lies buried beneath the ashes, but his power is the greatest of the three. And he will find a way out, unless you confront him first. But be aware. He seeks to enter the minds of lesser people and he can corrupt others._ "

As Vahlok spoke Serana came standing next to Tarrion who could almost see visions of the three Priests Vahlok spoke about. He did not know if it was only his imagination, or if Vahlok was able to grant him a greater understanding. For now he did not care, but he also did not trust Vahlok, but as long as Vahlok did not attack, neither would Tarrion. Serana still had her weapons ready, ready to strike as soon as needed.

" _And what of Miraak himself?_ "

" _Miraak is Dragonborn. His power is greater than his acolytes combined, but he has become arrogant. I could not fight him as I should. His soul is that of a Dragon… like my masters. I can only urge you to fight him as a Dragon… not as man._ "

Vahlok disappeared and reappeared next to his sarcophagus. He stepped back inside and looked at Tarrion. His eyes had doused and it almost seemed he was tired.

" _Why do you help us?_ " Tarrion asked.

" _Because I await his death. My oath will be fulfilled when he is dead, and until then I am bound to this island. Kill him… and I too will finally rest._ "

And with those words he lowered himself into the sarcophagus and the stone slab reformed itself. It floated back over the tomb and sealed it once again. Tarrion and Serana were left alone in the hall with the Draugr lying everywhere.

"What in Oblivion was that?"

As soon as they were outside the barrow Tarrion breathed in the alpine air and he felt refreshed. He had learned another Word of Power from the Word Wall behind Vahlok's sarcophagus.

SHAAN

He had explained to Tharstan what happened and he seemed to burst from excitement. "A real Dragon Priest! And we were able to live to tell about it. What a book this will make!"

He quickly left for Skaal Village to make notes while Serana and Tarrion left at their own pace to Raven Rock. As they walked he told her of the conversation he had with Vahlok and she listened closely, and after he had finished she sighed.

"So we first have to destroy three other Priests before it is Miraak's turn? It looks like you were right."

"Hmm?"

"Well… on the ship… you said that you thought this would be bigger than a rogue mage. Well… it is. Three Dragon Priests… a Dragonborn Dragon Priest…. A good Dragon Priest... an entire island that is threatened… mind-controlled people… a Daedric Prince that is involved. It almost seems someone wants to test both of us."

"Seems like it."

Serana looked at him from the corner of her eyes and she saw he was in deep thought. She knew he had to be thinking about his encounter with Vahlok but there also seemed to be something else that bothered him. She would have asked, but she was also occupied with her own thoughts. Why did these three Priests follow Miraak? What could they gain from it? She knew that the Dragons wanted Miraak dead because of the Shout he learned from Hermaeus Mora…. The Shout that can control Dragons.

She wondered what it would be like when she looked at Tarrion. To Shout three words and even Dragons will do you bidding. To command beasts that are immortal and hold tremendous power. Is this the kind of power she would want? She thought about it and tried to imagine what it would mean for the Dragon. She quickly thought of a thrall… just like a Vampire can force someone to do their bidding. She decided it was not a pleasant thought, and for only a split second she worried about what Tarrion might do with that power. She looked at him again and her mind went rapid. She saw a man who would be able to control the most powerful beasts on earth. He would be able to destroy the Empire. He would be able to bring the fight to the Thalmor!

She stopped thinking for a few moments and repeated her thoughts. 'Tarrion could bring the fight to the Thalmor. With an army of Dragons at his command, nothing and no-one would be able to stop him. He could become High King in Skyrim if he wished.'

She suddenly imagined a terrifying vision of Tarrion sitting on a large throne. Two Dragons lying next to him and a host of defeated foes bowing down to him. She saw a gaze of power and dominion in his eyes as she imagined him, and she did not like what she saw. But most of all, she saw that she was not next to him. There was no second throne. No-one that stood beside him. Just him… alone over a mountain of slain foes, and it was truly terrifying.

 _-The next day-_

As they neared Raven Rock Serana saw once again a man digging in the distance. She saw a few broken stone pillars just above the ashes and the man was digging between them.

"Again that man there," she said and pointed to where she saw the man. "Do you see him?"

This time Tarrion could see him too and both decided to investigate as to why this man was digging there.

When they arrived they saw it was not a human, but a Dunmer. His face was weathered and he wore a mask to protect himself from the ashes. A small tent was set up nearby and he had already dig a large hole and old stone was clearly visible.

"Good afternoon," Tarrion said and the elf looked up. "What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" the elf answered angrily. "I'm digging, or did you think I was taking a bath here?"

"I'm sorry," he quickly added and he lowered his pickaxe. "I'm just frustrated by my work here. The name's Ralis Sedarys. I've been hired to investigate Solstheim to find the Relics of Ahzidal, but so far all I have found is this tomb. Buried in ash."

"Ahzidal?" Tarrion sharply asked and he remembered the name from Vahlok. "What do you know of him?"

"Not much. I have a book on him that claims he was a human long ago. He was an exceptionally powerful mage who's family was killed in Saarthal. He learned from Elves, Man and more to take revenge on the Snow Elves who killed his family. That is where the story ends. My benefactor tells me he is buried here on Solstheim but that is all I know. And so I dig here alone."

"You don't have anyone else here with you?"

"No… my benefactor spared all expense with this expedition in case it doesn't pay off in the end."

"Digging alone is going to take you years to unearth this tomb," Serana remarked as she saw the poor progress that Ralis had made.

"You think I don't know that? I don't have the money to pay people to work for me, but it takes money to make money. I already asked at Raven Rock, but they're all way too occupied with some Stone there."

"Let me go to Raven Rock," Tarrion said. "I'm sure we can come to an understanding there."

"Go ahead, try," Ralis almost mocked him and he continued digging. "Ask Azura to help you too while you're at it."

 _-Raven Rock-_

When they arrived in the town, they saw that almost everyone was up and about again. They saw how the second councillor walked up to them and shook their hands again. "Again…. I cannot thank you enough. It has been so long since we've seen the town awake again. What can I do for you?"

Tarrion thought for a few moments before he answered. "Maybe you can help me with two things, Adril."

"Anything," the elf answered with a smile.

"Outside of town, to the southeast, there is a Dunmer digging around an old Tomb. Do you know him?"

Adril nodded. "Yes. He came to Raven Rock a while ago, before we were all taken by the Earth Stone. He quickly left town though, presumably to start digging where you found him. He only came by a few times for supplies, but that is it. How so?"

"He is digging alone and making poor progress in unearthing that tomb. I need to find something that lies inside that tomb, but it will take years if he digs on his own. I know it is a big favour to ask, but can you send a number of miners to help him?"

"Of course," Adril answered and Tarrion was a bit surprised by this. "You've helped us. You saved our lives. If not for you we'd still be enslaved to make structures around the Earth Stone. We are a mining colony but our own ebony mine is closed for over a year now. It would do our miners good to do some work again. Just tell us where you need them to go."

"You have an ebony mine here?" Tarrion asked. "Where?"

"On the edge of town. Dug into the hillside. But it was closed over a year ago on account of 'danger'. Why do you ask?"

Tarrion's mind went rapid now. "What if we try to clear out that ebony mine, and in the meantime your miners work on that other tomb with Ralis, would we have a deal?"

"Deal."

Adril immediately started preparing the work for the miners while Tarrion and Serana left for the Resting Netch to rest. He had adviced Adril to send guards with them. "It is a Nordic Tomb and those places are never empty."

"What is your plan here, Tarrion?" Serana asked as he closed the door. "I understand why you want that tomb unearthed, but what is this about that ebony mine?"

"It is what Vahlok said," he answered as he dropped himself on the bed. "He said that Zahkriisos was buried beneath 'a mine filled with Black Stone'."

"And ebony would be this Black Stone," Serana nodded. "I see. So now we have another tomb to explore."

She sighed as she dropped herself next to Tarrion on the bed. "After a day like this…. I am really looking forward to some time off."

"Agreed," and he lay next to her and they stared at the ceiling. "Do you think we'll get through all of this?"

Serana took his hand and gave it a slight squeeze. "You are worried?"

"I… I've never faced a Dragonborn before. I'm not sure how to fight him."

"The same way you have always fought all the others. With your head up, sword in hand, and ready to send them back where they came from."

"That is…" but he stopped himself. He knew that Serana did not understand what this meant, facing a Dragonborn, but he decided not to tell her. He gave her hand a squeeze.

"Thank you."

But deep inside he was afraid. Afraid for everything that he had. Afraid for Serana. He knew that this would be a battle unlike any he had faced before. In each of them he was ready to take the dive and face his foe in battle. 'With swords raised high and courage unwavering' as Tsun would have said, but not this time. This time, Tarrion felt fear. More fear than he had ever felt before. Not for his life, but for his very soul.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

Because facing a Dragonborn is like going all-in. Like literally, all-in. And you know what it means if he loses. But we'll get to that in the next chapter. As for now, I think it was a pretty good idea that I had here. Trading favours with Adril… Tarrion clears the ebony mine, and the miners help with unearthing Ahzidal's tomb.

The conversation with Vahlok is completely in Dragon Language though. I did not feel like translating every single line in Dovahzul, so all the lines that are in _cursive_ are in Dragon Language. Serana was only able to pick up a few words here and there but missed the majority of it.

But that is it for this chapter. Stay tuned for the next one.

Dragon Language Used:

Shouts:

MID VUR SHAAN: Loyal Valour Inspire (the complete Battle Fury Shout)

WULD NAH KEST: Whirlwind Fury Tempest (the complete Whirlwind Sprint Shout)

Vahlok's dialogue:

WO VODREMT DII PRAAN: Who disturbs my rest?

ZU'U FEN GRUNZ HI ONT ZOS: I will imprison/capture you again/once more

GANOG: Enough

BO WAH DII AAK: Come to my aid/help

HI FEN DIR (MIRAAK): You will die (Miraak)

Tarrion's Line:

 _Zu'u los ni Miraak:_ I am not Miraak.

As with the previous chapters; I plan on writing two 'intermission chapters' named **Interview with the Vampiress/Werewolf**. In these two chapters I plan on having an interview with Tarrion and Serana. These two chapters are to explain some backstory behind the two of them, plus including the relationships between them and other characters, the daily life they have etc. These are 'lore-friendly' questions. I got a question about 'leaky faucets'… this is a Medieval Era setting…. They don't have faucets :).

I hope this clears it up slightly.


	48. Dragonborn 9

**Dragonborn 9**

"Dammit woman! I said 'leave me be'!"

"Crescius, it is too dangerous down in the mine. I'm not spending the rest of my days as a widow!"

"Then what would you have me do? Stay here while my great-grandfather died and the East Empire Company goes unpunished?"

"Dammit Crescius, you're a crazy old fool and you're going to get yourself killed!"

The arguing voices became louder as Tarrion and Serana entered the abandoned ebony mine of Raven Rock. They had prepared themselves for anything down here and they had also both taken a pickaxe just in case.

"An arguing couple," Tarrion remarked as they saw light just around the corner.

"Ha… sounds like us," Serana joked.

"What? We don't argue like this," but Serana gave him a look that said enough. "Alright… but ours our more civilised."

"Yea, except, unlike you, I remember what happened during the Blood Moon."

"That one doesn't count."

When they stopped arguing about arguments and walked around the corner they saw the couple whose voices filled the mine. An old, Nord man, with barely any hair left on his head, except for a very short beard, stood in front of a Dunmer woman with raven-black hair and a soft grey skin. When they heard the two approaching they stopped yelling at each other and looked confused at the two.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" the man asked, but the woman stopped him.

'Crescius, these are the two that saved us from that Dark Spell. Remember?"

"Oh, yes," Crescius said as he recognized them. "I see. But what is it that you want here?"

"We heard there was trouble in the mine," Tarrion answered. "We came to investigate."

"See!" the old man blurted out and he turned to his wife. "They know it too! I told you there was something going on here!" and he turned to Tarrion. "The East Empire Company shut this mine down many years ago on account of it 'running dry'. But I know better. I have found a journal from my great-grandfather, Cratian Caerellius, in which he states that there was something else going on in the mine. He believed that the mine was linked to an old Nordic Tomb. Right before the East Empire Company shut the mine down they sent my great-grandfather down into the mine to investigate. He and his party never returned. The East Empire Company dismissed it as an accident, but I know better. He was killed to cover up what is really down there."

They both had listened to the story and both thought the same thing. 'There is something wrong with his head.' But they had promised Adril to investigate the ebony mine and so they put their own feelings aside.

"That… is an interesting story," Serana said hesitantly.

"You don't believe me do you?" Crescius said unsurprised. "Honestly… I don't care what you thing, but I know I am right. And now my wife nags that I am too old to go traipsing around in the mine to find proof…. And while she may have a point, I cannot sit still and leave the East Empire Company go unpunished!"

The look the Dunmer woman gave Serana said all she needed to know; 'This is what I have been dealing with.'

"Then what about this;" Tarrion said. "We go down into the mine to investigate and we'll let you know if we find anything. It seems Adril also wants the ebony in the mine flowing again, and we offered to help."

Crescius stroked his beard while he thought about it, but his wife jumped at the idea. "That is a good idea, Crescius! Last time you went in there you nearly fell to your death, and these two seem more capable. We accept."

Crescius showed Tarrion the entrance to the mine and explained a bit more about why the East Empire Company shut it down. Serana comforted Crescius' wife Aphia and told her that her husband would be safe.

"Ugh, you don't know what it has been like," she sighed to Serana. "I mean… I fell in love with him after he had an accident in the mine and I nursed him back to health. And I thought that mining was a relatively safe profession for him… but ever since he found that journal of his great grandfather he had been obsessed with it. And he has gotten older and is not the same young man he once was."

"His age is a problem for you?"

"Hmm? What! No! Not like that! I mean that he can't think that he can still climb down that mine like he used to. I loved him when I married him fifty years ago, and I still love him. But I don't want to lose him yet. I want him around for as long as possible, despite that I am a Dunmer."

"I know," Serana calmed her. "That is what I meant. Dunmer live longer lives than humans, right?"

"All Elves live much longer lives than humans," and she looked at Crescius. "I know that he will die in a few years. He is eighty years old… and I doubt he will live to see one hundred. But I will live much longer than him. I know I will probably live another two hundred years, three hundred is more likely."

"So, you're still fairly young compared to him."

She nodded. "I am probably around your age," and she smirked slightly. "I know it must sound odd, or even wrong, for humans… but I love Crescius and I want him around for as long as I can."

She looked at Tarrion and back to Serana. "It must be difficult to understand for you…. You'll grow up next to him and age with him. I will continue after my husband dies… and between you and me, I am afraid of it."

And although Serana did not show it, her heart became colder and she felt a deep pain come over her… because she knew that what Aphia said about her and Tarrion was not true.

A few minutes later the two descended down into the mine while Crescius and his wife went dback home. Tarrion held a torch in his hand and lit the way while Serana walked quietly behind him. Before long they reached the area that was shut off by the East Empire Company and an iron gate blocked the way, but Crescius had given them a key and the old door opened without effort.

"Serana… are you alright?"

She woke up from a trance-like state and looked at Tarrion with a dazed look.

"Hmm? What? Oh… yes, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Don't worry about me. Let's just focus on the task at hand."

Tarrion knew there was something bothering her, but he knew he would not get anything out of her here. It was not the time or the place for it and he simply nodded and placed his hand on her shoulder before continuing.

They quickly saw that old Crescius was right and the mineshafts changed into hallways of an old Nordic tomb and both drew their weapons. They knew that these places were never empty and before long they were indeed ambushed by a small horde of Draugr.

"You know," Serana smirked after the last Draugr fell down. "for once I'd like you to take me someplace romantic."

"Like where?" he asked.

"Well… we have explored Falkreath more than enough, so maybe we can go see the hot springs in Eastmarch. The volcanic tundra there makes for an empty and open landscape but the springs there I would not mind visiting. But you have to make up a location for yourself… don't wait for me to suggest it."

"I will think about it," he said with a smile and he winked at her.

It were moments like these that they both loved. While they were traversing an old tomb, beset on all sides by Draugr and all manner of undead, they still found the time to have a light-hearted moment. A short moment of joy to remind themselves and each other that all would be well.

The deeper they went into the tomb the colder it became and they reached a large cavern. A small stream flowed through the bottom of the cavern and disappeared in the far wall. They climbed down but Serana could already see that they had reached what they were looking for. Her Vampiric vision pierced the shadows and she saw two skeletons lying next to each other. They were clearly mines as pickaxes lay next to them and a small, decaying satchel lay against a small pillar. She could also see a strange sword, and a slight, red glow seemed to come from the blade. A few metres in front of the skeletons she saw a large door that had no handles or any discernible way to open it.

"I think we have found the great-grandfather," she said as Tarrion reached the bottom of the cavern.

As Tarrion searched the satchel Serana looked at the sword. It was a large, two-handed sword that would be too big for even Tarrion to properly wield. It was incredibly heavy and she saw that the blade was indeed glowing.

"Ah," Tarrion said and he pulled a journal from the satchel. "A journal."

As he read it Serana still studied the blade and she looked at the door. The door was unlike any other she had seen before. A large arc was made above it that seemed to be cracked in a few places. The door itself was completely covered in imagery and runes, but she could not read them. The door seemed to be able to open by splitting in two, but there were no handles anywhere to be found.

"Hmm," Tarrion grumbled. "It seems Gratian came here with an assistant to investigate the mine. They found out that the miners had broken into this tomb and Gratian was hired to investigate what was down here. Damn fools. Unless you know what you're doing, you should not enter a tomb like this without coming in force. The two of them didn't stand a chance. But here he describes something as the ' _Bloodskaal Blade_ '," and he looked at Serana.

"I guess that is this sword," she remarked and Tarrion nodded.

"Agreed. He also describes that when swinging it ' _a ribbon of mystical energy emanates from it_ '. He writes how he took the blade from a pedestal and they were attacked by Draugr. His assistant was cut down and he was wounded. His wounds refused to heal and he knew he was going to die."

"A slow and lonely death," Serana said and she looked at the two skeletons. "But this blade seems important, right."

"I guess so," and he saw how Serana struggled to lift the blade. "Is it heavy?"

"Yes," and she clenched her teeth trying to properly hold it. "For some reason it is extremely heavy."

Tarrion tried the same and he was indeed surprised by how heavy the blade was. He had used battle-axes that should be heavier, but this blade was almost impossible to swing. If it wasn't for his lycanthropy he wouldn't have been able to lift it at all.

"What….. what is wrong with this thing?" he panted after he was able to lift it to his shoulders.

"It is definitely magic," Serana suggested and Tarrion agreed. "I guess we need this to open this door."

"Right…. his journal says that by swinging it, it produces magical energy… so let's try to swing it toward the door."

With extreme effort Tarrion held the blade above his head and when he swung it downward, he indeed saw that the journal was correct. A red wave of energy seemed to cleave the air itself and upon impact the door cracked.

"That seems to work…. Try again."

With more effort than he would admit Tarrion was able to swing the blade another three times before the door finally fully opened and a large hallway had appeared behind it.

"Maybe we should bring the blade along," Serana suggested. "It is definitely important and we might need it again."

And so Tarrion was forced to lug the weapon with them. He refused to carry it for fear of breaking his back and dragged it behind him and sound of cold steel on stone echoed through the tomb.

"Are you sure you don't want to carry it?" Tarrion asked her, but Serana smiled at him "No thanks…. I have to carry the weight of the knowledge that I am doing this to you…. It is a lot heavier."

"Then we'll switch, and I'll carry those feelings."

"I.. really can't do that to you… sorry, honey."

"Thanks… dear," and his voice dripped with sarcasm, but Serana continued to smile.

After a short while, although Tarrion could have sworn it took at least an hour, they arrived at a massive hall. It reminded them of Vahlok's chamber, and a large basin of water, but much deeper this time, occupied the majority of the hall. On the far end they could see another Word Wall, and Tarrion could faintly hear the Word calling to him.

"Tarrion!"

Serana shouted at him and she pointed at the blade, which had started to glow brighter and brighter and now seemed to shine by itself. A bright red glow emanated from the blade and Tarrion could feel the handle shake in his hands.

HA HA HA HA

A deep rumble echoed through the hall and an evil laugh was heard. With a burst the water in the basin exploded and from the surface and unusually large Dragon Priest arose.

He seemed to be almost twice as large as any other Dragon Priest Tarrion had ever faced. His grey mask was made from an unknown material yet it seemed to be crackling with energy and it seemed to glow. His robes seemed to be made from the same material and also seemed to glow with energy.

He turned to the two intruders and he immediately reached out to them. immediately the blade came to life and flew with tremendous speed to the Priest. As soon as it reached its hand the blade itself shone with a bright red light and the Priest laughed again.

Without any effort Zahkriisos, for both Tarrion and Serana knew this was his name, swung the blade and a powerful, magical wave of red energy blasted to them. They ducked behind a pillar where the magical wave broke and the pillar shook and cracked.

For the first time both Tarrion and Serana found themselves cornered by a single foe. With roaring laughs the Priest swung his blade and each time a thundering wave of magical energy crossed the room. The pillar behind which they took shelter had already broken to a pile of rubble, and so did the next two pillars.

"I can't get a clear shot!" Tarrion shouted under the roaring of the waves, and he tried to quickly see where his opponent was standing. As soon as he did a new wave crashed into the pillar and nearly struck him over his face. "We need a distraction!"

Serana had stayed silent, but suddenly she had an idea.

"Be ready!" she shouted at him and with a sudden move she disappeared into the shadows.

Tarrion, and not even the Dragon Priest, was able to detect her and not a second later she stepped from the shadows on the other end of the room. She fired a barrage of Ice Spears at him and shouted.

"NOW!"

WULD NAH KEST

Tarrion stepped from behind the pillar and Shouted. With lightning speed he crashed into the priest and brought him off his balance. The Priest let out a gurgling shout and swung his sword at Tarrion, which nearly lopped his head off. Serana jumped and drove her dagger through the armoured plates of the Priest's robe.

With a flash the priest teleported and shouted at them, but this time Tarrion was ready.

SUN GRA DUN

The magical sword flew out of the Priest's hand and he roared in anger. But with a single move the blade flew back to its master and a new barrage of magical waves was send toward the two intruders. But then Serana had an epiphany.

"Disarm him again! I have an idea!"

She disappeared into the shadows again while Tarrion waited for a clear shot.

Serana jumped from the shadows and fired an ice spell at the priest…. The priest turned around…. Tarrion Shouted…. The blade flew from its master's hands and fell to the ground…. Zahkriisos roared and stretched out his hand…. The blade flew back…. Serana fired a powerful Ice-Spear, but not at the Priest, but at the blade. It shattered against the hilt… the blade flew off balance… spun around and rammed itself into its master's chest.

With another gurgling cry the Priest froze and collapsed and turned to ash.

Serana walked toward Tarrion as she looked at the smouldering pile of ashes that was left of Zahkriisos. Her hair had fallen over her eyes, but she was unharmed. Tarrion had a few scratches on his face and his body hurt from diving behind the pillars to take cover.

"Damn," Serana said and dusted herself off. "He was tough…. Were the ones in Skyrim as tough as him?"

"Pretty much, yes," he panted and he rubbed his shoulder. "And I had to finish them on my own."

"And you still struggled with this one while there's two of us?" and she teased him with a grin. "You're getting out of shape."

He gave her a soft smile. "I'm also more careful than I was before."

Serana's grin disappeared, only to reappear with a blush when she realized why he was more careful.

The Word Wall held another Word of Power and Tarrion felt the energy flow through him when he understood it.

QAH

Together they found a secondary shaft that lead upward and outward. As they reached the surface again they breathed in the salty air and the sun had just reached its highest point. The weather was clear and Serana could almost see the fringes of Skyrim in the distance, but the sun blinded her vision too much to make it out. Together they climbed down the Cliffside and returned to Raven Rock.

There Adril waited for them and he was delighted to see them return. They informed him of what happened down there and he went pale when he heard of the Dragon Priest.

"By Azura… and you lived to managed to tell about it? I've heard stories and legends about these priests, but I never imagined them to be real."

"They are very real," Tarrion answered. "and very dangerous. In fact, I think there are two more on the island."

"Two more?!" and Adril went pale, or as pale as a Dunmer could be. "You think one of them might be in that barrow where our people are digging?"

"I think there is."

"WAT!? Then we need to get our people out of there!" and Adril took a few steps back, but then stopped. "You knew this? Then why…"

"Because I need those priests dead," Tarrion tried to explain. "They are linked to Miraak… and if I can kill these priests, I can weaken Miraak's hold over Solstheim. These Priests have a way of digging their own way out, but if we can take them out before they become too powerful… we can end them quicker and safer."

They walked from the town to the barrow and by the time they reached it Adril was only slighty more convinced, but still hated the plan.

"I'm risking the lives of our own people here… if this goes sideways."

"It won't," Tarrion tried to calm him. "If anything happens, I will deal with it immediately, and your people will not have to deal with the priest. We will do that ourselves."

As Adril turned around Serana looked at him with one eyebrow raised. An expression he had seen before.

"We will?"

* * *

Over the next three days the miners were able to dig deeper and deeper into the Barrow. During this time, Ralys started to act stranger and stranger. At first he was eager to dig deeper into the barrow, but as they progressed he became more and more exited to the point where it became scary. A few times Tarrion could hear him softly mutter to himself, as if he was talking to someone.

"Not long now… no, no. We're getting closer… deeper yes, but not deep enough…. Not long now."

When he would ask him about it Ralys would immediately snap out of whatever trance he was in and deny it all or just excuse it as 'thinking aloud'. When Tarrion confided in Serana they both agreed to keep an eye on him for now.

They found a number of strange relics and magical artefacts. Ralys explained that they were the 'Relics of Ahzidal' and Tarrion read a book that Ralys had brought; 'Ahzidal's Descent'.

It spoke of Ahzidal and his life. How he was a powerful mage who lived in ancient Saarthal, but wanted to learn beyond what his teachers could teach. How he learned from the Altmer and even rumoured to have learned from the Dwemer. How his thirst for knowledge was unquenchable. But then the Snow Elves sacked Saarthal and killed his family. It was then that he took the name Ahzidal… Embittered Destroyer… and how he vowed to exact his revenge on the Snow Elves.

It was clear that this Ahzidal was powerful and Tarrion could fill in the blanks that the book left after the Snow Elves were destroyed by the Nords. He could guess that Hermaeus Mora tricked Ahzidal… or maybe Miraak did it on his behalf… promising power and knowledge to wipe the Snow Elves away.

When he read the last of the story, he looked at Serana. She lay on a small bed in their tent and she was asleep. He sat on the chair beside the bed and saw how she lay there peacefully. He could not blame Ahzidal's thirst for revenge and he wondered what he would do if anyone would hurt Serana. Would he do down the same path? He closed the book and decided he did not want to know.

* * *

After days of digging they finally reached the bottom of the barrow. A few Draugr had awakened during their excavation, but only minor injuries were sustained, as Adril had insisted on sending the Redoran Guard to guard the miners at all times. When they found a large door that did not look like a normal door, the miners were evacuated and Tarrion and Serana went in. Without the sounding of pickaxes and the digging of spades in the barrow, it seemed dead and empty now. The relics they had found were brought safely to Raven Rock and the two walked deeper into the bowels of the earth.

"What kind of Priest do you think we'll face?" Serana asked him as she looked at the statues that loomed over her.

"Hopefully one that surrenders quickly," Tarrion said sarcastically. "But I doubt it. We'll have to prepare for anything. He is a servant of MIraak, just like Zahkriisos, so he will be powerful."

"Well…. At least this time we know what we're up against."

After a while they reached the large door. They saw that it was weathered and old, but the mechanism still seemed to work. When Tarrion pulled a lever, they could hear the clanking of gears and the large, stone slabs were lifted up.

Behind them they saw a large hall. It was perfectly round with dozens of sarcophagi placed against the walls or in alcoves. At the far end they saw another smaller door that would no doubt lead to a secondary shaft to a different exit. On the ground they saw a massive stone slab, that was perfectly round and a great number of runes were engraved on it. It seemed to be made of a different type of stone, and it almost seemed like marble. Tarrion looked at the runes while Serana studied the sarcophagi.

"Hmmm…. None of these seem to be of any significance," Serana mumbled. "They are all normal. None of them would hold a… TARRION WATCH OUT!"

As he looked up he felt a sharp pain shooting through his shoulder as a pickaxe was rammed through it.

AAAAAAAAHHH

"A sacrifice… yes, yes. A sacrifice for the master. A blood sacrifice… nothing less… you will do.. yes, very nicely… the master will be pleased, yes."

Ralys Sedarys started mumbling again and pushed Tarrion onto the stone slab. With the pickaxe still in his shoulder Tarrion fell on the seal and he could hear a rumbling coming from it.

"You will awaken the master… yes… you will wake him. His will guides me… he told me it would work… He will rew-…"

With an unsettling sound an Ice Spear jammed itself into Ralys' eye socket. His body fell limp on the seal and the blood poured from his head.

Immediately the ground started shaking again and the seal started to glow red. Serana ran to Tarrion and quickly pulled the pickaxe from his shoulder. She was able to cast a quick healing spell before they were both launched away. A shockwave slammed them both into the walls and from the marble slab a Dragon Priest arose.

He was not as large as Zahkriisos, yet still taller than any man. His mask was made from a red metal, just like his armour. His staff had a red orb at the tip which burned with a fire from within. With erratic movements Ahzidal looked at the two intruders and he screamed at them.

DIR

With a massive stream of fire he incinerated Ralys' corpse to ashes while Serana and Tarrion were only just able to duck behind a collapsed pillar. The fire was spreading fast, and Draugr emerged from their sarcophagi, yet the rage of Ahzidal was so intense that they too were burned to ashes.

Behind the rubble the two could hear the old priest rage. There was no laughter heard like Zahkriisos… no intelligence sensed like with Vahlok… there was only rage and destruction, and as soon as a Draugr would appear, Ahzidal would destroy it on the spot.

"Arg…." Tarrion grunted as he grabbed his shoulder. He could feel the warm blood pour from the wound and he leaned against the rubble.

Serana cursed when she could sense how much blood he was losing. "Damn that Elf!"

"I.. I can't move my arm," he clenched his teeth as tried to move it. "Damn… I can't-…"

But Serana placed her hand on his cheek. "Then I'll handle this."

"Wha-.." but Serana shook her head and jumped from behind the rubble and engaged the Dragon priest.

Using her Vampiric abilities Serana was able to dodge many of Ahzidal's attacks, but her clothes started to char and burn, and her cloak had already caught fire. She fired ice spell after ice spell at her opponent and saw that it dealt damage… if only a little. Every few seconds Tarrion grunted in pain behind the rubble and Ahzidal would turn his attention to him for just moment… moments that Serana used to fire barrages of Ice Spears at her opponent and she saw that Ahzidal's rage made him unable to think. As soon as he would turn around Serana fired a barrage of spells at him. The Priest roared and turned around again and fired a wave of fire at her.

IIZ SLEN NUS

Immediately Ahzidal was encased in ice and Serana saw how Tarrion nearly fainted from the pain in his shoulder. She took her chance and fired another wave of Ice Spells, ran to Ralys' pickaxe, picked it up and threw it at the Priest. It embedded itself into his head just as he broke free from the ice and with a low, gurgling cry his body incinerated to ashes.

Serana ran to Tarrion who leaned heavily on the broken pillar and he grimaced in pain. He started to remove his gauntlets in an effort to take off his armour. With her help he removed his armour and she saw that there was a sick-looking wound on his shoulder, near his spine. Serana wasted no time and planted her lips on the wound and tried to suck out the poison.

"Ah…. You'd better not be enjoying this," Tarrion remarked with a grimace.

"Under different circumstances, I might," she responded and she spit out a bit of a bitter tasting venom.

Walking back out the tomb and to Raven Rock was tiring for Tarrion. Someone had already run ahead and came back with a potion to combat the poison in his blood. This quickly worked and by the time they arrived at the herbalist he was feeling better already. There Adril Arano asked him what in the name of Azura happened.

"Ralys happened," Serana said and she gritted her teeth as she said the name. "He followed us into the tomb and attacked Tarrion from behind."

"Where is he now?"

"Dead," Serana said bluntly. "I killed him and his body was incinerated by the Priest that attacked us afterwards. Good riddance I say."

Tarrion could only agree with this, and yet there was something that did not add up. He remembered how Ralys had muttered something about the 'Master' and how 'he would be pleased'. The more he thought about it, the more he started to realize that this was not about Ahzidal… but about Miraak. He realized more and more that he had underestimated the influence that Miraak had on people.

Yet a small part of him also smiled at this attack. It meant that Miraak started to see him as a real threat to his plans. He was becoming less of a nuisance and more of a real problem. He was getting closer, and he knew that there was only one Stone left to free… and two last Dragon Priests to kill.

But that evening, as he lay next to Serana he felt a dark feeling come over him. After freeing the last Stone, and after killing Dukaan, the last Dragon Priest before he could confront Miraak… there would be one last decision he would have to make.

" _I have another proposition for you…. One I am sure you will find… hmmm, interesting."_

Those words from Hermaeus Mora still echoed through his head and no matter how hard he tried, he could not get rid of them.

" _It seems you are torn…. Ever since that fateful day in Dimhollow, where you met a child of my brother. She has shaped your path to here as much as you shaped hers, and now…. She looks ahead… to her future. To your future…. Hmmm… I wonder, though. Would you choose her, or your own self-righteous quest for power?_ "

" _I will never choose anyone or anything over her!_ "

" _Hmmm…. Foolish words inspired by nothing but emotion…. But we shall see if you can back them up…. Oh yes. We shall see._ "

And since then, Tarrion has felt torn. Every second since then, he felt ripped apart by two sides of him. Neither side willing to concede to the other, and both sides as strong as the other. Whatever choice he would make…. He did not want to face the consequences of the other.

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

Two Dragon Priests down… two to go (that includes Miraak of course.) Anyway… I hope you liked the chapter. It took a bit to write though…. Writer's block is annoying.

I would also like to thank everyone that is following and/or reading this story. Without you I would have stopped writing this a long time ago. I don't thank you guys often enough, but I'd like you all to know that I appreciate it enormously.

 _Dragon Language Used:_

 _IZZ SLEN NUS: Ice Flesh Statue (from the Ice Breath Shout)_

 _WULD NAH KEST: Whirlwind Fury Tempest (from the Whirlwind Sprint Shout)_

 _QAH: Armor (from the Dragon Aspect Shout)_

 _Dir: Die_

As with the previous chapters….. I plan on writing two 'intermission chapters' titled; **Interview with the Vampiress** and **Interview with the Werewolf.** These are two chapters that would explain a number of details about the characters like daily life… likes and dislikes… current and past relationships… views on events, and more. I do this in interview-form, because otherwise I would have to slowly give this information in small chunks in other chapters… and this is much easier. So… that's why.


	49. Dragonborn 10

**Dragonborn part 10**

Serana woke early. Her black hair had fallen over her face and she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Half awake, half sleeping she turned around and grabbed Tarrion's arm… but he was not there. When she finally opened her eyes she looked at this scar-covered back as he sat on the edge of the bed. The claw and fang marks were clearly visible to her and she saw that he was far gone…. Lost in thought. He didn't even notice her when she got up, the soft covers gliding over her pale skin.

"Tarrion?"

He did not respond and even after she placed her hand on his waist he still stared at the wall.

"Tarrion?" she asked a bit louder and he woke up from a trance like state. He turned his head and immediately conjured up a smile.

"Morning," he smiled and he gave her a soft kiss.

"What is bothering you?"

His smile did not fade but the look in his eyes betrayed him. It was a look she had seen numerous times before. Something was severely bothering him.

"Nothing really," he lied. "I just didn't sleep that well."

"Tarrion…. What is wrong?" she said calmly, but her tone was serious.

"No, really… I'm fine," and he still had that annoying fake smile and a muscle pulled in Serana's face. "No need to worry."

"Don't you trust me?" she asked him and finally his smile faded. "Why won't you tell me what is wrong?"

"Trust has nothing to do with it," he said harshly and he turned to the wall. "Worry… and fear… but not trust."

He stood up, grabbed his tunic and walked out the room, leaving Serana alone with a fear she had felt before.

Half of her wanted to rush after him, to corner him and force him to tell her what was he was so worried about.

'He promised,' she thought to herself. 'He promised not to shut me out. He should tell me,' but she sighed. 'No… later, not now.'

She grabbed her clothes and put them on. Running after him would only cause more problems. It would not help. She dressed herself and packed for a long journey.

Leaving Raven Rock they headed north, past the coast. Adril had told them where to find the last Standing Stone, the Water Stone. It was near the coast, next to an old mine from there they would be able to climb the mountains onto the glaciers where Tarrion was certain they would find Dukaan. Vahlok had told them that his tomb lied in the frozen glaciers of Solstheim, and that is where they would search. After that they had planned on going straight back to Storn to ask him again if he would accept the bargain that Hermaeus Mora had offered. Neither of them had any doubt that he would keep his word, but both were concerned about the manner in which he would keep up his end of the bargain.

As the part started to climb a bit Serana walked behind Tarrion and she hardly payed attention to where she was going. Ever since they left Raven Rock they had not said a word to each other and she had seen the look of determination on Tarrion's face. He wanted to get this over with, she knew this. And she agreed with that thought. She wanted to leave this island as soon as possible. She wanted to find the last Dragon Priest, kill it, kill Miraak… and then return to Skyrim and go on a vacation with Tarrion. She knew… or she could at least understand, why he was so distant, because he wanted the same.

After a few hours they reached the Wind Stone. Only a handful of people were working and the structure was nowhere near finished. It seemed a few unlucky miners were under the spell and instead of mining for ore, they now had to mine for stone to build the structure around the stone.

GOL

Tarrion Shouted and the men and women stopped working and stared in a daze at the stone, waking up from a long nightmare. The structure broke into pieces and another monster appeared, just like the ones they had faced before. It was tall and covered in slimy scales. A long tentacle-like tongue and tentacles for arms… it howled at them in rage. It took little effort to take it down and after the miners were able to say anything rational they thanked the two and left for their camp… where they fell asleep and didn't wake til the next day.

Tarrion and Serana had quickly climbed the mountains and now stood at the edge of a massive glacier. The cold wind blew the snow against the mountains and everywhere they looked they saw only white. Tarrion could not see as far as Serana, but her vision was blocked by the sun, and so they both climbed further until they reached a large crevice in the ice.

After many hours of searching the seemingly endless icy landscape they tried to find shelter. As if it was built for this purpose, they found a small hut built near the mountainside and the walls held the wind back… be it only a little. Tarrion's face suffered from frostbite and his hair had turned white with snow. Serana was not bothered by the cold, but her hair too had turned white with snow.

"W-w-we should rest for a m-moment," Tarrion muttered and he rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them.

Serana looked at him and felt sorry for him. She rubbed the snow from her hair and sat next to him. "I'm sorry."

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry I can't help you get warmer," she said and she stared at the snowy floor. "I'm a Vampire…. I cannot keep you warm with my body the way a human would. I…. I don't need your warmth to survive… but I cannot give you warmth either. I….. I'm sorry I can't."

He looked at her and saw a deep pain etched in her face, and he felt sorry. Sorry for how he had been acting for the entire day… for keeping things from her…. For not confiding in her. He removed his hood and gloves and wrapped his arm around her shoulder while pressing his head against hers.

"As am I."

She answered his advance and took his hand and he drew hope from this.

"I am sorry for what I said and did this morning," he continued. "I…. I'm sorry I'm not there for you as much as you for me. I'm sorry I can't get us away from this place… as much as I may want to."

He sighed deeply and a tear rolled from his eye. "I'm sorry I choose my own path over you."

She turned her head to him and pressed her forehead against his cheek. She could feel the warmth come from his face and it soothed her. The warmth from his breath touched her skin and she parted her lips slightly.

Outside the strength of the wind increased and old boards of the hut creaked as the snow outside piled up against it. Inside the shed Serana had hugged Tarrion and desperately clanged herself to him. A few tears welled up in her eyes as the emotions from the entire day overwhelmed her.

"I know that you want to leave this place…. And I know you want to do what is right and save these people. I know that you worry about the people and me… and I know that you prefer to toughen up rather than breaking down. But you promised me that you would be there for me. You promised not to shut me out…. Let me help, Tarrion. Allow me to help you."

He did not answer immediately, but instead he held her tighter to his chest. The hard armour pressed against her but his lips were pressed against her forehead.

"I…. I am afraid."

She could feel a shiver come from his body, and she held him tighter.

"I am afraid of Miraak. I am afraid of what will happen if I fail. You see him as just another enemy… an evil man that needs to be put down… but he is not."

"What do you mean?" she asked and she pulled away and looked him in his eyes. This time there was no strength in them… only fear and that alone scared her more than anything.

"I am Dragonborn… that you know," Tarrion started and she nodded. "I have the same powers as Dragons…. One of them is that I can absorb the knowledge and power of any Dragon I kill. But it goes much further than that. It isn't just the knowledge and power…. I absorb their very soul. Their knowledge, power, experience, wisdom… their very being, everything that makes them into who they are… it disappears and fuels and increases my power."

He sighed at thought and Serana saw that it was something he seemed ashamed of. To rip one's soul out and absorbing it… she shuddered at the thought.

"As Dragonborn… I too have the soul of a Dragon. Miraak is Dragonborn too, and he too can absorb the soul of a Dragon…. If I kill him, I will absorb his soul. But if I die by his hand..."

"He will absorb yours," she finished his sentence and he nodded. Her eyes went wide and she looked at his chest where she could hear his heart beat. It was almost as if that heart was his very being… everything that he was, all the knowledge and experience… all the pain and suffering he had been through…. All the love and affection he felt for her… beating faster, desperately fighting against the very idea of being unmade.

"If I die by his hand," Tarrion repeated. "I will cease to exist. There will be no Sovngarde for me. There will be no afterlife. All that I am will be destroyed and turned into Miraak's power."

If Serana had not been through all the adventures and hardship of her life… if she did not already know the powers of Dragons… she would have fainted on the spot after learning this. She knew that Tarrion, as Dragonborn, could indeed absorb the knowledge and experience of Dragons… maybe she even suspected it went further than that…. But she had never even considered what would happen to him. She saw that Tarrion's greatest strength, having the power of Dragons, was also a great weakness. She knew that her soul would continue to exist, even after death…. But if he died by the wrong man…

"Then we leave!" and she jumped up. "We leave right now! We're going back to Skyrim… this will not happen! You hear me!? Never!"

Her already pale face was now rife with fear and it had taken control of her completely. Outside the wind only hammered harder on the little shack but they were both deaf to it. Serana desperately tried to gather her thoughts but she felt herself shaking with fear and was unable to think.

"This is not worth it! You cannot do this! You cannot do this to me! Let Miraak take this island. Let him have it all! He will not have you! You hear me! NEVER!"

Tarrion saw she nearly went mad at the thought of losing him like this. She started to move around erratically and she pulled her hair.

"No! no, no, no! NO!"

He quickly grabbed her hands and placed them on his head, yet it calmed her only slightly.

"I know, Serana… I know," he said as calmly as he could. He too was afraid and almost every fibre in his being screamed at him to leave Solstheim immediately. "I don't want this, I really don't. But I have to."

"WHY?" she shouted at him and she held his head tighter. "Why do you have to do this?! You already have done more for them than they have done for themselves. You don't owe them anything. Why do you risk everything, even your soul, to save them? Why!?"

"Because it is right. I have a change to help them, and I should. I have the power to protect the innocent…. What kind of man would I be if I would leave them? But most of all, I want to protect you-.."

"I DON'T NEED YOUR DAMN PROTECTION, I NEED YOU!"

Her widened eyes looked at him in pure desperation. There was no anger to be seen… only fear and pain. Tears had welled up and crawled down her cheeks. Her heart was not beating, but she could feel it ache with pain and desperation. Her body shook as she gritted her teeth, and she fell to her knees.

He caught her just in time and kneeled next to her. He removed his gauntlets, ignoring the cold outside and gently held her, trying to make her feel his warmth. He softly rocked her back and forth while tears ran over his cheeks as well.

She opened her mouth, although it took her extreme effort to do so. "Don't do this Tarrion," and her voice was weak and drenched with grief. "Don't ask me to watch while you die… while your soul is taken from you. I… I can't…. watch that…. Don't ask me to, I beg you. Don't ask me to."

And Tarrion saw that he had no choice. He knew he could not ask her to stay, to watch while he risked everything, to stand by unable to help. He could not ask her to take the risk of losing him again. He had come back once, but this time, there would be no return… ever. There would be no reunion in Sovngarde, and he saw that she would sooner kill him herself, than risk that.

"Then I will not ask it," he finally answered. "I will not do this. We will kill the last Dragon Priest, tell the Skaal we can go no further… and leave Solstheim."

It pained him to give up on this, but he saw that his pain could never be compared to the pain that Serana now felt, and he surrendered to it. He held her tightly as he kissed her forehead, yet he did not feel any better.

* * *

After the wind had died down the two searched further for the last Dragon Priest and eventually they found signs of a ruin nearby. Large rocks lay scattered on the glacier, likely from towers that were either destroyed by time or conflict, and they finally found a large Barrow. As they entered it they noticed a few things. One of them was that is seemed not as old as the other tombs they had entered thus far. A wooden bench was placed near a wall, yet it did not look decayed or rotten. It looked like it was placed there not two years ago. Secondly, and more disturbingly, they saw webbing. Large webs had covered the walls and ceiling and nearby they saw a body that looked like it has been used by a great number of spiders to lay their eggs in. Large parts were torn open with webbing covering the face and mouth.

"What is going on with all these Priests?" Tarrion asked himself.

"No idea," Serana responded. She felt a bit better after she was able to pour her heart out to him, and with renewed strength she followed him further into the dungeon.

After several corridors, and spiders beyond count, they found themselves in a massive hall and here too the walls were covered with webbing and they saw strange spiders crawling over the walls, floors and ceiling.

Some of them were small and pristine white. They were still larger than normal spiders, yet not nearly as large as the Frostbite Spiders of Skyrim. Their eight legs tapped on the floors or climbed up the walls and it looked like they followed their larger brethren. These spiders looked either fiery red, or poisonous green. They were larger than their white brothers and a powerful heat emanated from the red ones, while a green poison dripped from the green ones. As soon as Tarrion and Serana entered the hall all spiders were alerted by their presence and with heavy clicking they rallied each other. Crawling down from the ceiling or jumping from the walls.

Both fighters immediately cloaked themselves in fire and ice and hurled their spells at the onrushing enemies. Tarrion sprayed fire around them, but saw that the large, red spiders walked right through it. They were finished off by Serana firing her ice spells and before long the ground was littered with the corpses and ashes of countless spiders.

Thinking the danger has passed, Tarrion ended his cloak-spell, but Serana was not so sure. She could sense other enemies nearby… underneath the webbing. She could feel an unsettling pulsing going on underneath the white silk of the spiders and she was repulsed by it. Urging Tarrion to move on, the two continued… leaving the pulsing behind.

As they continued the webbing became less frequent, until it stopped completely. It seemed the spiders would not go near the heart of the tomb and were only used as an outer defence. Yet the two intruders did not take this as a good sign, and both readied their weapons.

After another corridor they found another large hall and they saw a large number of people wandering about or standing still like statues. A few of them looked like they were normal men and women, yet the majority of them looked unsettling.

They were covered in what looked like green webbing. It covered their arms, legs and even their faces. They moved slowly, like they were in a trance, or stood so still it seemed unnatural. From where they stood Serana could see something on their backs and after looking again she saw what it was, and an unsettling chill went down her spine.

A spider, large and grotesque had latched itself to each of their necks. Their mandibles bit deep into their neck and spine, while their stinger pierced their lower back. Their eight legs were wrapped around the torso of the man or woman, and Serana could see a slight pulsing coming from their bodies. There was no doubt that these spiders controlled them and turned them into slaves, while the handful that were not enslaved were their masters.

"By the blood," Serana whispered as she saw how the people down there were mind-controlled into doing another's bidding. "They're enslaved… by these spiders? Disgusting."

"Agreed," Tarrion whispered back. "Mind-controlled thralls… not unlike what Miraak did through the Stones. An effective, but cruel tactic."

At the far end of the hall they saw a massive stone door and both knew it would lead to the final Dragon Priest… but between them and that door was a horde of spider-controlled thralls that would no doubt attack if they would make their presence known.

This proved true when they entered the hall and even though they tried to be as silent as possible, they were caught. Immediately all in the hall attacked. The ones that were not controlled shouted and screamed.

"Kill them! Kill them for the Master. He commands you!"

The thralls answered with disgusting voices… each completing the other's thoughts.

"Kill them…"

".. the master commands it."

"He will reward us…"

"… with more prey to feed on."

"Yes, stick them…"

"… stick them again."

Tarrion and Serana were quickly made aware of the cruelty of the spiders. Serana had tried to avoid harming the man that attacked her and instead sliced the spider on his back in two. Immediately the eight legs contracted and crushed the man's torso. Tarrion tried to cut the legs off, but as soon as the spider was harmed, the legs would either crush or pierce their victim's body… killing them instantly.

Suddenly three more acolytes appeared from one of the other corridors, each carrying spiders in their hands. Without hesitation, they threw the spiders at the two intruders, missing Serana only by a hair.

TIID

Time slowed as Tarrion Shouted and he fired a massive fireball at the three acolytes while cutting down two near him. He fired an Ice Spike at a spider that flew at Serana and decapitated the last acolyte near him. As the Shout wore off the Ice Spike killed the spider, while the fireball hit the central acolyte and exploded with such force that the other two were killed as well.

With the ground littered with spider corpses the two continued toward the large door at the end. It was one of those doors where everyone know that something lay behind it, and Tarrion and Serana had passed more of these doors than they could count. They knew that the last Dragon Priest was waiting behind it. Dukaan. Dishonoured

They entered another large hall, and they felt the dark influence of the island almost tangible in this room. The walls were covered with sarcophagi and a large, gilded coffin was placed at the far end. But all this they had seen before and it was not that which worried them.

Across the walls they saw runes. Not engraved in the stone, but ever shifting and moving. Like lights they moved over the stone walls, ceiling and floors, all seemed to originate from the gilded coffin at the far end.

"What on earth is this?" Serana whispered, both in fear and in awe. The markings terrified her, and she felt strange as she walked there. Weakened somehow.

"I feel… weaker, somehow," Tarrion answered and she understood what he meant.

" _So….. you made it here at last._ "

Both of them felt a chill running down their spines as the voice echoed through the hall.

The large stone slab that covered the gilded coffin slowly hovered away, and this was strange to Tarrion. He had faced Dragon Priests before and each of them had burst from their tombs, yet Dukaan now rose calmly from his slumber.

" _It seems my acolytes have failed… no matter, I trust you punished them accordingly._ "

"Speak plainly, if you can!" Serana shouted at the priest, as she could not understand the Dragon Language as well as Tarrion.

" _Tell your whore to stay silent, False One,_ " Dukaan answered. " _My message is for you only._ "

FUS RO DAH

Dukaan slammed into the walls behind him as Tarrion Shouted.

"I've had enough of you Priests!" he shouted at Dukaan. "Give Ahzidal and Zahkriisos our regards."

Both charged at Dukaan with relentless fury, but when Serana tried to impale him with Ice Spears, she saw that her magic did not work, and Tarrion was unable to Incinerate him.

" _Fools…. This place is no longer part of this world only!_ " Dukaan yelled in fury. " _I have brought Oblivion itself here… and it is beyond you!_ "

But as confident as he was, he quickly became more desperate. Neither of his foes were able to use magic, yet Serana's vampiric reflexes and speed were not lessened, and Tarrion's Shouts had lost none of their potency and Dukaan was forced on the defence.

Before long Dukaan realized he could not win it, and he shouted in anger. With a massive blast he froze the entire room and teleported to a small alcove near the far end.

It was only then that Tarrion and Serana saw what was placed on a small pedestal in the alcove. Dark, oozing the same green smoke and almost sounding like the bellowing of a massive creature, a Black Book lay there. Dukaan shouted again and laughed and he fired a small, golden orb at the book. Immediately a massive wind went through the hall, all being pulled by the book. It was as if it tried to suck everything in it. Serana and Tarrion felt how they were pulled toward it and Dukaan laughed again.

But it ceased quickly as something went wrong. He too felt the power of the wind, and he tried his best to stay away from the Book, yet had trouble doing so.

" _No, No! Not me… them, only them! Leave me!_ "

But there was no answer, and the wind only pulled harder. Serana barely managed to grab the large, gilded coffin, but Tarrion was less fortunate.

"Take my hand!" she shouted, but it was too late. He lost his balance and was pulled away by the book. Dukaan laughed as he saw Tarrion tumble, but through luck, or something else, Tarrion managed to grab Dukaan by his bony arm and he too lost his balance. Pulled by the sheer force of the wind the Black Book sucked them in and closed.

"TARRION!"

The wind stopped and Serana fell to the ground only to run to the Book, but no matter how hard she tried, it would not open.

"Tarrion!" she shouted again… hoping for an answer, but even if he could hear her… he could not answer.

* * *

 _-Apocrypha-_

Both enemies fell on a hard surface and Tarrion let go of Dukaan's arm. He was dazed by the fall, but Dukaan stood up and looked around.

" _No! No no, no! Not here… not this place, anywhere but this place,"_ and a voice seemed to come from the ground itself to answer him. Harsh, dark and terrible it echoed across the realm of Apocrypha.

"Dukaan! You will not escape me any longer….. I will collect my due."

Dukaan was petrified for a moment, but then he turned to Tarrion. " _You! You brought me here!_ " and he raised his staff.

FEIM

The staff came down and went right through Tarrion. With a massive burst of ice and flames it cracked and broke on the hard stone and Dukaan was thrown backwards. As Tarrion managed to get to his feet he saw the fear through Dukaan's mask.

Everything Tarrion had learned about Dragon Priests was thrown overboard as Dukaan fled before Tarrion. He chased the old Priest over bridges of stone, and past oceans of writhing tentacles, but as soon as Dukaan saw the murky waters he turned around and ran the other way.

" _Where is it? Where?! It is the only way! Where is it?!_ "

Tarrion did not know what Dukaan was looking for, but he knew he had to get to it first and before long, they both found it.

On a small island, on the far end of a small bridge they saw a large pedestal with a Black Book. Dukaan rushed to it, with Tarrion right behind him, and both knew it was the way out. Tarrion was fast, but Dukaan was faster and reached the book first.

FUS

Dukaan lost his balance by the shout and Tarrion caught up with him

" _NO! You will not have me!_ "

Dukaan now shouted at something Tarrion did not see, but he did not care. He ducked under a deadly strike from the Priest and pushed him away. Again Dukaan stumbled, but this time he made a misstep and fell into the waters of Apocrypha. Immediately tentacles grabbed his arms and torso.

" _Noooo!_ "

He desperately tried to break free, but more tentacles wrapped themselves around him and dragged him down until only his head was still visible.

"Dukaan…" that dark voice echoed again. "Your debt is paid."

And with a last muffled cry the old Priest was swallowed by the murky waters and disappeared.

Tarrion stared for a few moments at the place where Dukaan went under. His mind went rapidly, trying to understand what just happened. After a few moments he turned around and walked to the large Black Book, knowing it would lead him back. He opened it and felt a powerful surge come over him and the world around him faded.

* * *

 _-Solstheim-_

Serana still desperately tried to open the book, but no matter what she did, it would not budge. She wanted to force the book open, to tear it apart… but she dared not to, afraid it would destroy Tarrion's way back. She knew this time was different. Tarrion went inside the Book. Last time his body remained here… transparent, but here. But now she had no idea what would happen. What if this was a trick from Hermaeus Mora to claim Tarrion after all? She paced around the hall… staying close to the Book, hoping to hear something that would indicate Tarrion was alive.

An echo came from the Book, a sound like the bellowing of a giant beast, and a singular pulse came from it. Suddenly it slammed open and pages flew aside until, with a shout, Tarrion was ejected from the pages. As he landed on the ground the Book slammed shut, and Serana jumped on top of her man.

"I'm alright… I'm alright," he calmed her as her arms were wrapped around him.

"I… I feared I lost you," she softly sobbed, and he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek.

"You won't," he panted. "You won't."

* * *

 _-Skaal Village-_

After a long and cold journey they finally returned to Skaal Village. The sun had just gone under and the stars had become visible. Throughout their travels through Solstheim, both Serana and Tarrion had noticed how the land had changed.

On their first day the sky felt far away and distant. The land felt wrong and it seemed as if something or someone was constantly watching. A feeling of dread was over the land, and they understood what the Skaal meant when they would say that 'the Oneness of the Land was corrupted'.

But now they felt better. The stars were clearly visible, as if there was no longer a veil over them. The land felt renewed and young again, and the journey was not tiring. The Dark influence over the land had lessened, and Serana hoped it would be enough. Enough for them to leave this island and return home.

In the village Storn was waiting for them. He kneeled in front of the Great Hall, with the Black Book lying on the ground in front of him. It was wrapped in cloth, but the green smoke was oozing out from between the folds. Frea leaned against the Great Hall, trying to calm herself, but it did not seem to work. Her eyes flared as she stared at the Book and when Serana and Tarrion returned she did not look happy. Storn opened his eyes as they approached.

"Ah," he sighed. "The land is free again from the Dark Influence… I can feel it. You have freed the All Maker Stones from Herma Mora, and restored the land. I thank you."

"Yes," Tarrion answered. "But we-…"

"Father," Frea interrupted him and she came standing next to Storn. "Are you sure? This Book is wrong and evil… against everything you have taught me my whole life."

"I know this, Frea," Storn answered and he looked at his daughter. "But there comes a time when everything must change. Nothing that lives remains the same forever."

He took her hand and kissed it, and he smiled at her. "Do not fear for me, my daughter. This is the destiny the All Maker has in store for me."

He turned to the Book and before Tarrion could stop him, he opened it with the words: "I am ready for you."

Immediately green tentacles came from the pages and wrapped themselves around Storn's arms, legs, chest and neck. A last tentacle slowly rose from the Book and hovered in front of the old man's face. Frea grabbed her axe and swung it at the tentacles, but she was thrown aside.

"At last."

A dark and terrible voice echoed over the village and people came running from their houses and fell to their knees at what they saw.

The Black Book now hovered above the ground and the tentacles held Storn tightly, Frea was still forced on the ground by an unseen force and all around them countless writhing tentacles and eyes appeared. Hermaeus Mora himself had come to Solstheim to witness the end of his waiting. The skies darkened at the presence of one of the Daedric Princes and a feeling of despair came over all.

"The Skaal yield up their secrets to me!"

Serana wanted to rush to Storn's aid, but Tarrion grabbed her shoulder and stopped her. She looked at him, wanting to ask him why he stopped her, but his head was bowed in defeat as the final tentacle jammed itself into Storn's forehead.

The old man shouted in pain and his eyes rolled back.

"Finally," Hermaeus' voice echoed. "My waiting is over," and he turned to Tarrion. "Dragonborn… you have given me the Gift I requested. You have served me well once more, and I will give you what you want."

"Do something!" Frea shouted, but Serana saw tears running over Tarrion's face and his mouth moved silently, but she thought she knew what he said.

 _Forgive me._

"Here then is the final Word of Power that you need to challenge Miraak."

Hermaeus Mora's voice sounded happy, like he had won a long lasting battle…. A deal fulfilled…. A life destroyed.

"You will either be a worthy opponent…. Or his successor, as the tides of Fate decree."

The Black Book glowed brightly and Storn screamed in pain again until his body fell limp. The tentacles let him go and as his body dropped to the ground Frea felt the invisible force disappearing. The eyes and tentacles of Hermaeus Mora disappeared and the skies became clear again.

Frea crawled to her father and lifted his head from the snow.  
"Father! No!... What have you done?"

The villagers gathered around Frea and Fenari closed Storn's voice.

"Be a peace, old friend," she whispered. "Be with the All Maker."

Each of the villagers said something. Remembering the man who had guided them, protected them and was tasked with guarding their secrets. The man who just gave his life to help an outsider. Tarrion knew that back in Skyrim they would erect a statue in honour of such bravery… yet he thought it would not be the way of the Skaal.

Frea let go of her father's body. She took one look at the Black Book and she kicked it to Tarrion. Both Serana and Tarrion had not moved as the villagers gathered around their fallen shaman and Frea had to force herself to remain calm as tears rolled from her eyes.

"Go! My father sacrificed himself so you can destroy Miraak. Do not let his sacrifice be for nothing. Go! Kill Miraak. Do not fail."

And instinctively Tarrion nodded. "We will leave at first light tomorrow."

Frea gave them one last look before turning around and falling to her knees at her father's body, in pain and mourning.

"I agree," Serana said as soon as they had closed the door of their house behind them. "We leave and do not come back."

She fell on the bed and covered her face with her hands. The appearance of the Daedric Prince had affected her, and Tarrion realized it with a shock. Last time this happened to Serana she was brutally raped and turned, and the terrible echo of that memory was now etched in her face.

She sat on the edge of the bed. As she moved her hands away she saw that they were shaking. She saw them bleeding and black blood leaked from under her fingernails and she wanted to scream. But then two other hands took hers. Two thumbs softly stroked her fingers and she saw that her hands were pale as always. The hallucination had lasted only for a second, yet she felt her entire body raging with fear and pain.

Tarrion held her hands softly in his and kissed them. His warm touch and breath calmed her, and she looked at him and saw how the pain was also etched in his face. Like a scar it marked him and tears welled up in his eyes.

"I am sorry," she heard him say, but she did not want to hear it. This was not his fault, he knew that. "I should have known what that would have done to you. A Daedric Prince so close-…"

"No…. please," she stopped him and she gritted her teeth. "We leave in the morning," and he nodded.

* * *

In silence he moved out of the bed. Utilizing every skill he had ever been taught to stay as quiet as possible. As fast as he dared without making noise he opened the chest at the far end of the room and pulled out his armour. Carefully he carried them to the next room and put them on. First his trousers, then his boots. His armour was difficult to put on without help, yet he managed. But when he grabbed his gauntlets he stopped. He looked at the door that lead to the bedroom and bowed his head. He silently cast a spell to muffle his movements and headed back in.

She lay there peacefully. Her black hair had fallen over her pale face. A single ray of moonlight fell on her body and hit made her skin almost shine. He kneeled next to her, no longer holding back the tears. He stared at her for what seemed like years, desperately wanting to remember her like this. Peaceful and beautiful. Carefully he stroked her hair behind her ear and as soft as he could he planted a slight kiss on her lips.

He would remember them as they are. Soft and rosy. He would remember her eyes as they are. Lively, with a soft, red glow. He would remember her as she is. Loving, caring… and he would face both Oblivion and Aetherius to be with her.

He opened his mouth. The pain in his jaws was agonizing, and with more effort than ever he forced words from his mouth. "I am sorry…. I am so, so sorry."

He clenched his teeth not to shout in pain and his tears blocked his vision. "I love you, Serana…. I will always love you…. No-…. No matter what happens…. I love you."

Silently he moved back to the other room and put on his gauntlets. He placed his sword on his back and grabbed his shield.

It was dark in the room as he neared the door that would lead outside. Shadows covered almost every corner, and only a few moon rays peaked through the windows. He took one last look at the door to the bedroom and cursed it all. All he had seen and heard in the last few weeks. He cursed the day he heard about Miraak. All of Solstheim could be damned to Oblivion… He wished he never heard of this accursed place. He sighed and turned his head to the outside door.

Nothing has ever scared him more, and nothing ever will scare him more, than what he saw then. Not even the return of Alduin himself could frighten him as much as this.

Two glowing eyes had appeared in the shadow in front of him and stared at him in fury. They glowed brightly in the dark and as he stumbled backwards, an icy voice asked him one question.

" _Where do you think you're going?_ "

=End of Chapter=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

I have started to hate writing this Arc more and more. Not because it is a shitty arc and has a stupid story, but because of the plans I had made for this story beforehand, and the ones I got during the writing. I always prefer to write happy stories, but this one doesn't looke like it will have a happy ending. There is but one final chapter left for this arc to be over, and I'll say it honestly; 'I am so looking foreward to ending this arc. There is too much pain here.'

 _Dragon Language used:_

 _TIID: Time (from the Slow Time Shout)_

 _FUS RO DAH: Force Balance Push (full Unrelenting Force Shout)_

 _FEIM: Fade (from the Become Ethereal Shout)_

 _GOL: Earth (from the Bend Will Shout)_

The fight with Dukaan (Dukaan: Devour-Kyne (or Dishonour)) was one I thought should be a bit different. For backstory (sine there is none about him) I decided that he made a Deal with Mora to increase his power, in exchance for his soul. Dishonourable as he is, he refused to hold up his end of the bargain...

As for the part where Tarrion explains that he will not go to Sovngarde if he is killed by a Dragonborn…. I am not sure what the Lore says about it. I tried to look it up, but there are only fan-theories to be found. I decided to raise the stakes (and increase the pain for Serana) by saying that his Sould becomes absorbed and will not go to Sovngarde. He will cease to exist.

Let me know what you think of this idea and of the chapter. :)


	50. Dragonborn 11

**Dragonborn part 11**

Alone he ploughed through the snow. His armour was heavy and slowed him down. His sword hung from his back, just like his shield, freeing his hands to help him climb the mountain. Above him he could see the black stone of the temple he was trying to reach, but he hardly paid attention. He hardly cared for the world around him. In fact, he hated the world around him and would damn the entire island to Oblivion if he could.

Like in a trance he arrived at the first steps to the temple. The broken ruins and pillars were slowly being repaired by enthralled slaves… endlessly hammering and mining trying to restore a place that would be their doom. He cared not for them…. something he would never utter aloud before, yet now he felt empty. There was nothing left in him that he would fight for.

For the people that were enslaved? They had cost him what was most dear to him.

Because he gave his word? The price he had to pay was too high.

Because of his self-righteous sense of honour? Because of it he lost the one he loved most.

* * *

 _How could you do this to me, Tarrion!?_

The words had cut through him like a razor.

 _Why do you keep fighting for others!?_

She was right when she said that he doesn't owe anything to them.

 _Why can't you walk away from this? For me!?_

He felt his bleeding heart pounding barely in his chest, not having the strength to continue.

"Serana… please…"

"No!" she screamed at him. "You claim to love me yet refuse to go with me!"

"This is not about you…. I cannot abandon them because Miraak has a vendetta against me."

"So in turn you abandon me! What does that say about how you feel about me!?"

"Dammit, woman," he sighed. "I love you, and I always will. But I cannot leave here."

"Yes you can! Yet you won't because you always want to 'do the right thing'! But what if you fail?... I cannot bear that! I will not survive loosing you!"

"Then help me, please."

"Those accursed Books allow only one to pass through…. I cannot help you!"

Both stood in front of each other. Tarrion looked at her, pleading for her to understand. He had just grabbed his helmet when she appeared in front of him. Out of pure fright he dropped it and it had rolled away.

She stared at him. Her eyes flaring with rage and pain. Her black hair had fallen over her face as she clenched her teeth, and for a few moments Tarrion saw a Vampire standing in front of him.

* * *

Out of pure frustration he threw a fireball at one of the workers, but it missed. The incessant chanting echoed through his head as he climbed the steps to the heart of the temple where the Tree Stone was imprisoned. His thoughts numbed his mind and he was unable to think straight. No real thought had entered his mind since he left Skaal Village, where he did not even pick up his helmet.

If anyone could see him now, they would see a desperate man. A man at his End. A man who walked his final march, meeting his doom and welcoming it. A vessel of sorrow and pain, unable to think straight. A man on the road to battlefields. A man about to meet his fate.

The structures around the Tree Stone had grown since he was here last. They now almost covered the entire area, shaped in the same unsettling way as the walls and pillars of Apocrypha. It looked like Miraak was not just trying to return… he seemed to want to bring Oblivion itself with him.

There were no workers here. The sounds of hammer and pickaxe were still heard, but only their echoes reached the centre of the temple where he stared at the Tree Stone. There was no doubt it was corrupted… emanating a green glow and the small basin with water around it had become poisonous.

As he kneeled in front of the stone, he placed his backpack next to him. From it he pulled a large book, wrapped in cloth and hides. The green smoke oozed from the folds and he placed it on the ground. An unsettling chill went down his spine as he removed the hides and exposed the Book. It's cover was black and a symbol like grotesque tentacles was engraved on the front. He looked at it and was disgusted by it. An otherworldly thing that should not exist and the chill it emanated was repulsive.

He heard a slight sound behind him. A bandit or a reaver… he did not care. If they were to kill him, he only wished to be stabbed through the heart, as it ached the most. If he had to die today… he wished for it to be quick.

But there was no attack… and instead someone kneeled next to him. She did not look at him, as her mouth was dry, her throat locked and her heart ached. In her hands she held a helmet, made from the bones of Dragons. She stared at it, and he stared at her hands, tears dripping from their chins.

After what seemed like an hour she finally moved. She placed the helmet on the Book and looked at him. Her tears blocked her vision as she stared at the man she loved and her jaws pained her as she opened her mouth.

"I…. I cannot seem to change your mind."

Her voice was soft and dry, robbed of strength, but it was her voice and that alone seemed to give him a slight hint of strength back.

"So….. there is only one thing left for me to do."

From her waist she pulled a long and sharp dagger. The blade was clean and she stared at it as she held it in her hands. Every word she said was drenched in pain and loss. "I cannot live without you…. I do not want to live without you."

Tarrion's eyes widened when he saw the blade. For a few seconds he forgot about everything else as he his worst fear seemed to have become real.

Serana sighed and placed the dagger on the ground next to her. Her hand shook as she let go of the hilt. "I will wait here. I cannot accompany you, so I will wait for you to return. Don't-…. Don't promise that you will…. It will only hurt me more if you fail."

Her hand was still shaking, but Tarrion could feel the hint of a smile on his face. Even after it all, she still loved him. He took her hand.

"I will promise you this;…. I will do everything I can to come back."

Her grip on his hand became tighter and he answered it. Tears now ran over her cheeks and she started to shake again.

"No matter what happens, Serana," he said softly as he placed his other hand on the book. "Please know, that I love you."

He sighed again as her grip tightened more and more, and he opened the Book. "I love you…. Now and forever."

* * *

 _-Apocrypha-_

He walked silently, but with resolve past the walls of books, and the mountains of pages. The murky waters around him seemed silent, and no tentacles tried to reach out to grab him. A few of the strange creatures he had seen before saw him, but they moved quickly out of his way. They stared at him, and some followed him for a time, but none dared to go near him.

He was there in his full power. A Dragonborn. Thé Dragonborn. The Last Dragonborn. Slayer of Alduin. Archmage of the College of Winterhold. Harbinger of the Companions. Legate in the Imperial Army. Thane of Whiterun, Hjaalmarch, Haafingar, the Reach, the Rift, the Pale, Falkreath, Winterhold and Eastmarch. Hero of Skyrim. He was Tarrion Dovahsebrom… and even Miraak himself would learn to fear him before the end.

As he walked through the endless libraries of Apocrypha he noticed how quiet it was. There was no sound, other than the occasional page that fell of the mountains of books. The creatures of this domain seemed to fear him and they stayed away. He followed a path that lead closer and closer to a massive tower he saw in the distance.

It was still far away, yet he thought he saw small, flying creatures circling around the peak. One of them now landed on the peak and he knew he would be in for a fight for his life…. A fight for his very soul.

After a while he came across a large open area. On all sides it was surrounded by walls of books and scrolls and the ground was littered with torn-out pages. At the far end he saw something he did not expect to find in this place. The faint chanting was unmistakable as he neared it and he could sense the power emanating from the Word Wall.

DIIV

The word was unsettlingly powerful and he could feel a burning energy course through his body, from his heart to his fingertips. He clenched his teeth as he felt like he was burned, but then it ended.

The silence was broken when the roar of a Dragon rent the sky apart and mere seconds later a large Dragon flew over the area Tarrion found himself in. It was fast, faster than other Dragons and it roared again. Breathing fire and ice it soared down and landed on the other end of the area. Tarrion turned around and walked toward the Dragon, seemingly not aware of his enemy.

"Miraak has commanded your death!" the Dragon shouted at him. "And I will obey. You cannot reach him…. Not unless you have the wings of a _Dovah_ yourself."

With threatening power the Dragon breathed fire, yet Tarrion merely raised his hand and conjured a powerful ward. Draining the energy from the Shout, Tarrion felt himself growing ever stronger and with the energy from the Word Wall still coursing through him he Shouted back.

GOL HAH DOV

As if the very essence of Domination had taken form, a wave of energy escaped his mouth and the Dragon ceased his attack. For a moment it's head hovered confused above the ground, but then the Dragon made an unmistakable bow.

"Hail _Thuri_. Your _Thu'um_ has the Mastery. Forgive me for my attack… I was ordered by Miraak, my former master, to stop you at any cost. But now I am free of him… and I would be honoured to help you defeat him."

Tarrion paid little heed to what the Dragon said and walked toward the beast.

"Take me to him," he said calmly, yet his voice was trembling with rage and hatred.

"As you wish, _Thuri_ ," the Dragon answered. "I am called Sahrotaar. Climb on my back and I will fly you to him. But beware… Miraak is strong. He knew you would come here. Two of my brothers are still under his sway… Relonikiv and Kruziikrell, but if necessary I will draw them away."

Tarrion cared little for the other two Dragons. He only cared about Miraak and seeing his body dead at his feet. There was no doubt that this would be a fight that would rival that of his battle against Alduin. It would make the fight against Harkon seem like a fisticuff. He was about to meet his equal, but there was no prophecy that said he would triumph over his foe. There was no possibility that he would come back if defeated, and as he flew through the skies of Apocrypha and saw the tower coming closer he knew… he was about to meet his destiny with the Daedric Prince of Destiny watching... waiting... smiling.

* * *

 _-Solstheim-_

She had looked up for a few seconds as a slight tremor came from his body. She looked at him, not with hope but with fear, as she tried to see if anything had changed. But his body was still transparent. The green tentacles were wrapped around his arms and neck and it sickened her.

She now sat in front of him, with her dagger between them. She knew that there was only one way she would leave this island; with him next to her. They would both leave this island alive… or neither would.

Ignoring all around her she did not notice the footsteps of someone climbing the steps to the temple. Even when the stranger neared her she hardly noticed. Only when they were a few metres away from her did she look up.

"Please leave…" she said. Her voice robbed of strength.

"I was wrong," Frea answered and she took one careful step toward Serana. "I am sorry for what I said to you. I was wrong to say it."

She was about to take another step toward her, but one look from Serana changed her mind. "I see now that you truly love him."

"It took you too long to realize that."

The emotionless expression in Serana's softly glowing eyes did not change, yet a small tear leaked from the corner of her eyes as she looked at Tarrion's transparent body. Her blank stare made Frea feel pity. She had no idea what Serana was going through, and she was not sure if she should feel lucky for it. To see a love so strong, bringing two opposites together and not even the Daedra could tear it apart… she envied them. And yet she saw a pain in Serana that was unlike anything she had ever felt. A pain that would cause lesser people to break down, and Frea knew; Serana was far stronger than her.

Out of respect and admiration for both of them, she turned around and waited at the far end. The workers still worked tirelessly on the temple, yet she ignored them and she silently made an oath to Serana.

No-one would disturb her.

* * *

 _-Apocrypha-_

The tower slowly closed in as Tarrion sat on Sahrotaar's back. The large Dragon flew through the skies of Apocrypha, yet there was no wind to be felt. No soft breeze or even a cold chill… it was all quiet. No sounds were heard other than the beating of the large wings as they flew upwards toward the peak… towards the Summit of Apocrypha.

They slowly heard a few soft roars in the distance that quickly became stronger. High above them they heard the roars of two Dragons, and they sounded angry.

Finally they reached the peak. Hundreds of metres above the endless seas of writhing tentacles ,the jagged peak loomed threateningly and desolate. A symbol of power and domination… a symbol that would forever become the grave of a Dragonborn.

" _Tahrodiis Sahrotaar!"_

" _Sahrotaar los Dukaan!"_

The threatening words sounded like thunder after the silence, and the two Dragons landed on the peak as they breathed fire. The one was dark green, and the other red.

The peak was large and circular. Almost one hundred metres from one side to the other, with an elevated basin, filled with murky waters and tentacles, in the middle. All around the edges of the peak large archways and stone formations were built. Tarrion saw them and he was shocked at how similar this place was to the temple on Solstheim, with the elevated basin instead of a Standing Stone.

At the edge of the basin Tarrion saw a man, dressed in green and gold, with a golden mask covering his face. A strange sword hung from his hip and he leaned on a strange, wooden staff. The man did not move, even when Sahrotaar landed on the peak and made the ground shake. Tarrion jumped to the ground and walked toward the man.

" _Dir!"_ one of the Dragons shouted, but the man raised his hand.

"No! Not yet," and he finally seemed to acknowledge Tarrion's presence. "We should greet our guest first."

Calmly he looked up from the basin and saw Tarrion walking toward him. Behind his mask he smiled.

"And so the First Dragonborn meets the Last Dragonborn… here, at the Summit of Apocrypha. It is poetic. And it is, no doubt, just as Hermaeus Mora intended."

He looked at the large Dragon behind Tarrion and saw how it bared its teeth at him. "And you, Sahrotaar, are you so easily swayed? A Dragonborn who knows little beyond what a few old men on top of a mountain have taught him has persuaded you? It seems you are not as strong as I thought."

He turned his attention back to Tarrion and chuckled. "Because that is what you are; a puppet and a pupil of a few senile old men who claim they have found the 'way to enlightenment'."

"Oh, yes," he continued after seeing Tarrion raising an eyebrow. "I know much of what has happened in the world of Nirn. Not just Solstheim…. But beyond that as well. One of the few advantages of being trapped in this realm. Being trapped by the Daedric Prince of Knowledge. But now I will be free of him. My time in Apocrypha is over. You are here in your full power, and thus subject to my full power…. Something that is beyond you."

"You were defeated by Vahlok, long ago," was Tarrion's answer to Miraak's boasts and even behind the mask, Tarrion could see the anger it caused in his enemy when hearing that name. "You were defeated, Miraak. By a Dragon Priest…. I have slain many in my time… and I was able to best Vahlok as well…. What makes you think you can stand against me?"

For a few moments Miraak was silent. The anger at hearing that name was evident and he drew his sword. "Millennia I have been locked away here. For all those ages, I have learned and my power has grown. I learned the secrets of Oblivion before you were born. I command the Dragons themselves now…. You have no idea of the True power a Dragonborn can wield….. You will die here, and with the power of your soul I will return to Solstheim! I will be the Master of my own fate once again. No longer subject to the Daedra. I will defy the Daedric Princes!"

"Something I have done already," Tarrion answered and he too drew his sword.

Behind his mask, Miraak gritted his teeth at the defiance that his puny human showed.

"Kruziikrell, Relonikiv, NOW!"

With thundering roars, the clashing of swords and the blasting of spells, the two Dragonborn did battle. Miraak fought with Relonikiv and Kruziikrell at his side, facing Tarrion with Sahrotaar at his. Miraak fired a Thunderbolt at Tarrion, who absorbed it in his Ward and fired several Fireballs at Miraak.

WULD NAH KEST

Miraak lunged at Tarrion and aimed directly for his heart, but Tarrion could react in time.

TIID

Time slowed as Tarrion stepped aside and planted himself firmly behind his shield. As Miraak crashed into his opponent he Shouted again.

SU GRAH DUN

With more speed than Tarrion had seen before, Miraak swung his sword that pierced his armour. Tarrion felt a strong pain in his side and a feeling like his life was drawn from him.

WULD

He sprinted away, out of Miraak's reach. As he turned around he saw Miraak standing there, and even through the mask, Tarrion saw he was smiling.

"Weak!" Miraak shouted. "Very weak!"

With a single move a massive stream of fire shot from Miraak's hands, and Tarrion was forced to conjure a powerful Ward. The impact alone almost threw him off his feet, barely keeping his footing, but he could feel the heat of the fire.

"Kruziikrell! Burn him!"

The large, red Dragon soared down and landed on the tower, behind Tarrion. For half a second the Dragon seemed to grin and then Shouted with all its power.

YOL TOOR SHUL

FEIM

Immediately Tarrion's body became Ethereal, and the flames of both Dragon and Dragonborn crashed into each other. A massive explosion struck a crater into the tower and even Miraak was knocked back by the sheer force. Sahrotaar flew down and breathed fire on his brother, while Tarrion ran to Miraak, firing a barrage of Fireballs at him.

Now Miraak was forced on the defence, and he saw that Kruziikrell was heavily wounded.

"Useless," he mumbled to himself and he Shouted again.

WULD NAH KEST

He came to a stop near the wounded Dragon. Downed by Sahrotaar's assault, blood leaked from the beast's wounds and it had difficulty getting back up.

KRUZIIKRELL, ZII LOS DII DU

To Tarrion's shock and disgust the Dragon roared in pain as a strange wave of black energy escaped Miraak's mouth. Immediately the Dragon burst into flames, before collapsing and Tarrion saw how Miraak absorbed its soul with a single Shout. Miraak laughed, now maniacally and turned around to Tarrion.

"As I said: you have no idea of the true power a Dragonborn can wield!"

MUL QAH DIIV

Even on the far end of the peak, Tarrion could feel the power that now emanated from the First Dragonborn. Around him he saw a shade in the shape of a Dragon, as if energy had been given form.

But Tarrion had his answer ready. He felt as if within him a Dragon roared, waiting to be unleashed. He took a deep breath and even before he uttered the Words, he felt a terrible power within him.

MUL QAH DIIV

* * *

 _-Solstheim-_

The more Serana waited, the more she regretted going after him. She had sat there silently, motionless, waiting for signs of life. But now she wished for them to stop, because they only furthered her torment.

Tarrion's body had started glowing. She could feel an energy now coming from him and the stones around him had cracked under the pressure. He had not moved, or shown any signs that would indicate he was either fighting or not, but with the energy that now coursed through his transparent body Serana knew that he did battle. She had no idea what was truly happening on the other side of that accursed Black Book, and part of her did not want to know. She only wanted it to end. The stress was wearing heavy on her, and she could feel her heart ache in her chest.

On the far end of the temple Frea looked up. She had felt a tremor in the earth that came from the temple and she looked around. There was something different now. She could feel the Dark Presence still around her, yet it was weaker. Something… or someone… was causing the power to wane slowly. As Frea looked around she saw the workers. They had stopped. They now stood motionless, with hammer or pickaxe still in hand, as if waiting for the struggle between two powers to be over. The power that was enslaving them, and the power that was trying to free them.

She knew well what was happening and she turned her head toward the centre of the temple again, where she knew Tarrion was still sitting motionless, fighting for the freedom of her people… of all of Solstheim, and maybe even beyond that.

And in that moment she fell to her knees and looked up to the skies. They were cloudy and grim, yet behind them she knew the sun was shining. She thought she saw a slight ray of sunlight piercing through the clouds and she whispered.

"All Maker, please. Give him your strength. Grant him victory."

* * *

 _-Apocrypha-_

YOL TOOR SHUL

As Tarrion battled Miraak, Sahrotaar fought against Relonikiv. Both Dragons knew better than interfere between the two Dragonborn now that they were at the peak of their power. Both had used a Shout that even they did not know, but both were convinced that their master would best the other.

Relonikiv was strong, but Sahrotaar was quicker, able to fly out of reach, only to return with and attack from above or below… and it started to wear Relonikiv down. After another quick charge Sahrotaar saw his change when his foe staggered.

With a well-aimed fireball Relonikiv was blinded and Sahrotaar flew down and bit him in his wing. Both Dragons now fell down, and Sahrotaar broke Relonikiv's wing. The red Dragon howled and roared in pain and he tumbled downward. His foe finally let go of the wing, but unable to fly, Relonikiv fell down and disappeared into the abyss below and a long, loud roar was the last the world ever heard of him.

Sahrotaar crashed on the peak of the tower, wounded but victorious and Miraak saw that he was outnumbered.

"No! You will now pay for your betrayal!" and he deflected another blow from Tarrion and Shouted that terrible Shout again.

SAHROTAAR, ZII LOS DII DU

With a painful scream Sahrotaar's body burst into flames as Miraak absorbed his soul.

Invigorated again Miraak was now able to turn his full attention to Tarrion, and the two now fought like gods. The very foundations of Apocrypha were shaking now that two titans fought for the survival of all they were. Tarrion's shield was shattered, but he now summoned wards to deflect the Shouts and spells that Miraak hurled at him.

Miraak on his turn turned more and more desperate. All of his allies lay slain and Tarrion had somehow learned even his most powerful Shout. All of his tricks and surprises were used up as Tarrion's power and ferocity seemed to increase with every strike. It was clear to him now that Hermaeus Mora had abandoned him.

"No! This cannot be!" he shouted in desperation. "I am Master of my own fate!"

But Tarrion also knew that he could not win this. He knew they could fight until the last star burns and neither would be the victor. The Dragon Aspect Shout made it virtually impossible for the one to kill the other, and neither knew how long it would take for the Shout to wear off. Tarrion started to feel the fatigue of the battle and unless he thought of something soon, the odds would shift in Miraak's favour. Miraak was unlike any man he had ever faced… having all of the strengths, yet none of the weaknesses.

But in that moment, he finally remembered what Vahlok had told him.

" _I can only urge you to fight him as a Dragon… not as man,_ " and he now realized what he meant with that.

'Do not see Miraak as a man…. But fight him like you would fight a Dragon.'

For a split second Tarrion forgot about all else when he realized that and he was blasted away by Miraak's spells.

"You cannot win this! This is my world… MY WORLD! I AM IMMORTAL! I AM INFINITE!"

TARRION, ZII LOS-…

FUS

The maniacal state that Miraak was in gave way for just a second of opportunity. Tarrion Shouted, only enough to interrupt Miraak, and then marshalled all of his energy and Shouted the last Shout that gave him hope. If this would not work… all would be lost.

JOOR ZAH FRUL

The chaos that followed was unimaginable. Tarrion could feel how the Shout wounded him, yet not enough for it to be of any danger. But Miraak was struck down as if struck by lightning. The energy of the Dragon Aspect Shout exploded around him, shattering the ground and the tower was split in two. Miraak's mask cracked and he was forced on his knees. Immediately, and out of nowhere, tentacles appeared and grabbed him by his arms and legs and a last one shot without warning right through his chest.

A dark voice echoed across the endless seas of Apocrypha as Hermaeus Mora himself had come to deal with the Traitor.

"Did you think to escape me Miraak?! You can hide nothing from me here!"

All around the remains of the tower grotesque masses of eyes and tentacles appeared… all looking down on Miraak. Tarrion stood a few metres away from the dying Dragonborn and felt no mercy… only regret that he was not the one to deal the killing blow.

"No matter!" Hermaeus Mora laughed. "I have found a new Dragonborn to serve me."

And with his dying breath Miraak looked up to Tarrion, and maybe out of spite or out of respect, did he say his final words.

"May he be rewarded for her service… as I am."

His body incinerated itself, just like a slain Dragon would, and Tarrion felt himself being filled with tremendous power. His knowledge of Dragons and of Shouts expanded itself more than ever before, more than a hundred Dragons combined… and yet Tarrion felt repulsed by it.

The tentacles slithered away into nothing and all that remained of the once powerful Miraak, Chosen of Hermaeus mora, Traitor of Dragonkind and the First Dragonborn, was an empty skeleton.

Tarrion stood alone, at the Summit of Apocrypha, and as he sighed in relief at the knowledge that it was all over, the energy around him dissipated.

 _-Solstheim-_

* * *

 _Dub-lub_

 _Dub-lub_

Serana opened her eyes at the sound, and she looked at the man kneeling in front of her. She saw a slight move and his body became solid again. The tentacles that were wrapped around his arms and neck retreated back into the pages of the Black Book and it fell from his hands.

She stared at him for a few moments, seeing that he hardly moved. Then he took a deep breath through his nose and he looked up… to her. His emotionless expression faded and a slight smile came on his face. He looked at her, his eyes trebling slightly with the weight of the emotion of all that came before, and she saw tears well up.

"…. Tarrion?" she asked carefully.

He nodded. He took her hand and kissed the palm before pressing it against his face. She felt his warmth again, and she saw that it was indeed him. She did not know what to expect, or if he would still be him after he came back… she knew how the Daedra could change you… but there was no mistake. He had returned and he was still the same.

She sighed in relief and pain as it was finally over. She felt how his warm hand touched her cheek and they both leaned in and pressed their forehead against each other. She sobbed slightly… aware of how much they both had suffered to get here, the pain still etched in them both… but she knew it would pass. The pain would pass, and their love would remain.

The structures around them crumbled. Stone falling from stone and outside the workers came to their senses.

"Ysra!" Frea shouted as her friend dropped her chisel and looked around with nothing but confusion in her eyes.

The temple crumbled, yet Serana and Tarrion had not moved. The stones fell near them, yet they were deaf to it. They were finally able to hold each other again, without a shadow of dread above them. The dark influence had dissipated and it was as if the entire island sighed in relief with them. It was over….. it was finally over.

* * *

After almost a full day Tarrion and Serana reached Raven Rock. Frea was willing to escort them to Raven Rock, but was forced to see to her people that had been enslaved at the temple. Ysra and many others were half dead of exhaustion, but Frea knew that the rest of the village would come to help them. Now that the Dark Spell was lifted, all would be able to help again.

At Raven Rock the two were welcomed as heroes. Adril had thanked them till his throat went sore, and the rest of the village had ensured them that they would be welcome there at any time. Some even begged them to stay with them, but understood when they were declined. Captain Gjalund originally wanted to stay for the rest of the week for his supplies to be replenished, but after Adril convinced him he was more than willing to bring the two back to Skyrim.

Ignoring the rocking of the ocean Serana held Tarrion pressed tightly against her body, silently wishing she would never have to let him go. He had removed all clothing but his trousers and kissed her neck and shoulders repeatedly and softly rubbed her arms and waist. She felt him again and wanted to weep with joy, yet all she felt now was pure relief and exhaustion. They were finally returning home. The sounds of the waves carrying the ship back to Skyrim lulled them to sleep.

* * *

But when they arrived back in Windhelm and returned to their room in Hjerim, Tarrion's house, Serana noticed there was something off. He smiled, yet a deep sadness was behind it.

"What is it, Tarrion?" she asked him when they were alone. The night had fallen outside and all of Skyrim was asleep, unaware of what had transpired a few hundred miles to the northeast.

After he did not answer she took his hand and begged him. "Tarrion, please…. No secrets. Whatever happened on Solstheim is behind us now…"

"No….. no it's not," and he shook his head in defeat. "I have done something horrible. I… I have kept something from you."

"After what we have been through, Tarrion…. I am willing to forgive you."

"I…." and he swallowed before continuing. "I fear that this is unforgivable."

She let go of his hand and an expression of fear returned to her eyes. "…. What?"

He sighed again… hoping there would be an easier way to say this, but there wasn't.

"When I read that Black Book in Nchardak…. When I returned and said that Hermaeus Mora had offered me a deal…. Do you remember?"

Serana nodded and hated the memory.

"I did not lie… but I withheld something," and his voice became weaker as he spoke. "He did not offer me one deal… but two, and I had to choose one. The one was the secrets of the Skaal in exchange for the final Word of Power."

He sighed again and Serana saw a tear welling up in the corner of his eye. "The other…."

* * *

 _-a few weeks ago. Apocrypha-_

"I would never choose anything or anyone over her!"

"Hmmm… Foolish words inspired by nothing but emotion… But we shall see if you can back them up… Oh, yes. We shall see."

The Book in front of him gave another pulse and a deep chuckle rumbled over Apocrypha.

"I have a second proposition for you…. And you would be wise to heed it… as it concerns the woman you claim to love. We both know what she is…. And we both know what her greatest wish is. She wants an offspring."

Tarrion went pale at those words, because he knew Hermaeus Mora was right. Serana indeed had a strong desire to have children, but no matter how much they had… tried… she had not become pregnant. Maybe this was all just bad luck, Tarrion had thought…. Or maybe it was impossible, like Serana feared. Neither knew just how much her Vampirism would prevent…. And especially Serana feared that her womb was permanently damaged. That she would forever be unable to bear children, because of her Vampirism.

Neither of them had talked about it in a while, and Tarrion had not minded. This was a problem he could not fix as Dragonborn… only as husband, and since he had no experience in that regard, he was afraid of talking about it.

"Hmmm… to make this more interesting, I add something to our agreement," and despite the fact that he was only a giant mass of eyes and tentacles Tarrion knew…. Hermaeus Mora was smiling. "Bring me the Secrets of the Skaal, and I will give you the final Word of Power…. Or, if you so choose, I will give you the knowledge on how to have offspring with the Daughter of Coldharbour."

Tarrion stood petrified as those words now echoed through his head. He hardly heard how Hermaeus Mora chuckled again and said: "The choice is yours," before disappearing. Only after a while was he able to find his bearing again and he stared at the Black Book.

He was able to fulfil Serana's greatest wish… and he could not deny that he had the same wish, yet not as strong as her. He knew that it meant a lot to her, yet he also suspected he knew not how much.

But to fulfil this wish, he would have to give up Solstheim. He had little doubt he would not be able to defeat Miraak without the final Word of Power and Hermaeus Mora would not give it up freely. Tarrion knew he would have to choose. Choose between all of Solstheim…. Or the woman he loved most. He would have to choose between Serana…. And his own self-righteous quest.

* * *

 _-Hjerim, Windhelm-_

Serana stared at him as he finished talking. Her eyes had widened in utter disbelief. Her mouth was dry and she opened and closed it, as if trying to grasp at what she just heard.

Nothing… nothing she had ever felt was alike to what went through her now. She herself could not describe it…. shock, pain, hatred, betrayal. All of it ran her through and it felt like her heart had stopped beating all over again.

Unable to say a word she stood up, ignoring Tarrion's pleading. She cared not for it and she walked away. First slowly, barely able to set one foot in front of the other. But then she started running, until she threw the door aside and ran downstairs.

Tarrion ran after her. Shouting how he was sorry… how he could turn it back if he could… but she ignored him. He did not exist for her in that moment, and it tore her apart. She ran outside into the night and when Tarrion came rushing, the only thing he saw of her was a storm of bats flying away into the night sky and she disappeared.

=End of Chapter=

=End of Arc=

* * *

=Author's Notes=

And the Arc is finally over. Can't say I am happy the way it ended, but I am relieved I can move forward now. Not to worry… the story has not ended yet.

This idea for the extra deal that Herma Mora made with Tarrion was suggested by a reader of the story…. So it's their fault not mine! Blame them! :).

There are a few things I need to point out:

The Dragonrend Shout working on Miraak was something I thought should work… right? After all it does 'lash out a Dragon's soul', and Dragonborn have a Dragon's Soul. On the other hand the Shout forces a Dragon to understand mortality, so for a mortal Dragonborn it is a bit different I guess…. But with the Dragon Aspect Shout… might as well make it work.

Next for this story is, first the interviews, and then the next story arc; **Lands Unknown**. After that I plan on writing **two more Arcs**. The names I will not give, and I will not tell you what the story is about, since these last three arcs are related to each other and form One last great story. Giving away what it is about would include a lot of spoilers. I hope you are looking forward to it as much as I am.

That also means that the next three arcs will be the last three arcs. After that the story ends. It has been a long journey for both Serana and Tarrion, but also for me, and it is good to end it at some point. BUT, I am not saying goodbye just yet…. We still have three arcs to go and a lot of adventures still to happen.

 _Dragon language used:_

 _MUL QAH DIIV: Strength Armour Wyrm (full Dragon Aspect Shout)_

 _GOL HAH DOV: Earth Mind Dragon (full Bend Will Shout)_

 _WULD NAH KEST: Whirlwind Fury Tempest (full Whirlwind Sprint Shout)_

 _TIID: Time (from the Slow Time Shout)_

 _SU GRAH DUN: Air Battle Grace: (full Elemental Fury Shout)_

 _YOL TOOR SHUL: Fire Inferno Sun (full Firebreath Shout)_

 _FEIM: Fade (from the Become Ethereal Shout)_

 _ZII LOS DII DU: Spirit is Mine Devour (Miraak's insta-kill shout. Absorbs a Dragon's Soul immediately)_

 _FUS: Force (from the Unrelenting Force Shout)_

 _JOOR ZAH FRUL: Mortal Temporary Finite (full Dragonrend Shout)_

 _Tahrodiis Sahrotaar: Betrayer Sahrotaar_

 _Sahrotaar los Dukaan: Sahrotaar is Dishonoured_

 _Thuri: My Overlord_

 _Thu'um: Voice_

The Dragons here have weird names, as only one or two words can be (canonically) translated.

Sahrotaar only has two words to translate: Sah (Phantom) and Ro (Balance)…. Taar cannot be translated even in non-canon words.

Kruziikrel only has one word to translate: Zii (soul/spirit)…. Kru (knee (non-canon)), Krel (crooked (non-canon))

Relonikiv only has one word to translate: Rel (Dominate)…. Onikiv (enlightened (non-canon))

Also: this is the last chance for you guys to submit questions you want to ask either Serana or Tarrion (or both) for the upcoming 'intermission chapters' **Interview with the Werewolf** and **Interview with the Vampiress.** These will be two interviews with the two main characters to explain a number of things about them that would take too long, or it would be too boring, to explain in normal stories. It would be about daily life, likes and dislikes, current and past relationships and more.

Since this arc ended on very sour note, these two chapters will be as if all is still good between Serana and Tarrion. So they are canon…. Just not chronologically correct … I guess :)

As for now, I'd like to thank everyone who has read, liked, followed and supported this story till now. Without any of you I would have stopped writing a long time ago. Thank you all.

Until next time

PS: quick side note here... 50 chapters and over 200.000 words? I never thought i would make it this far :)


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